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
I am planning to get my booster this Sunday and travel to Canada by car on Nov. 4. That means I have to take the COVID test on Nov. 2. Will the booster shot affect the test?
None of the vaccines will cause a COVID test to become positive.
A pharmacist told my daughter that since she and her family all had COVID-19 last December, they were safe from getting again for two years. Is that true?
We don’t know. While we believe having been infected provides some immunity, it appears to vary from person to person in how effective it is and how long it lasts. Suggesting a safety range of two years is complete speculation - which is why getting vaccinated is still recommended.
If I had the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and want to have a Moderna boost, will I get the full dose or the half dose Moderna booster? Seems like I should get the full dose.
People who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster shot of any of the three vaccines, two months after their Johnson & Johnson dose. If you chose to get Moderna as your booster you will receive the half dose, because that’s the designated booster dose.
Is there actually different dosing for a third dose and for a booster dose? Or are all third shots the same dosage just with different names?
The term third dose vs. booster dose do have different meanings when we’re talking about the two-dose mRNA vaccines. A third dose is given to supplement the initial response in immunocompromised people and it’s given 28 days after the second dose.
A booster dose is given to extend protection that’s decreased over time in those with normal immune function. For the mRNA vaccines, it’s given at least six months after completing the initial series. In the case of Moderna, a third dose is a full dose -- while the booster is a half dose.
Another point that was recently clarified by the CDC is that immunocompromised people who received the third dose should also receive a fourth booster dose six months after completing the third dose. That’s because they often aren’t getting the same level of response to the vaccine as others who are not immunocompromised.
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