DETROIT – Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts. He’s been answering your questions about the vaccine, the vaccination process and more.
Read: More answers to questions about coronavirus
What’s the difference between a breakthrough case and a variant infection?
If you are fully vaccinated and get COVID, that is called a “breakthrough case.” A variant is a strain of the coronavirus that has changed in some way from the original virus. A variant can cause a breakthrough case.
I received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine but I am now worried about the delta variant. I am 73 years old. Can I get a Pfizer vaccination too?
There is no official recommendation or clear data yet to guide the decision on a booster from another manufacturer. There are estimates that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is probably about 60% effective against the delta variant. Depending on your other underlying risks or factors and the fact that vaccine is plentiful it might be a consideration after speaking with your doctor.
My husband, age 75, has diabetes and has been diagnosed with bladder cancer as a result of Agent Orange in Vietnam. He received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine on April 2, 2021. We recently heard that he might need to receive another shot of a vaccine to protect him from the newest variant. If this is true, which vaccine would you recommend he receive? We are scheduled to travel quite a bit in the next couple of months and I don’t want to endanger his health when we have come this far without contracting COVID-19.
Given his age and risk for immunocompromised as a result of cancer treatment a booster dose of vaccine is a solid consideration.
While there hasn’t been any official recommendation based on clear data there’s some preliminary information that the Pfizer vaccine would be a good choice in his circumstance. I would discuss it with his doctor.