SAN ANTONIO — Vaccination sites remain open across the city as our positivity rate climbs in San Antonio. If you've had your first and second dose, a booster shot is recommended months after the second dose. It has some asking if a fourth dose will be needed and when it will be authorized.
"The data for safety as well as efficacy aren't there yet. And so we're still waiting to see over time how much longer our immunity lasts with a booster dose," Dr. Bryan Alsip, the Chief Medical Officer for University Health told us.
That's why you need to wait the recommended number of months after your original vaccine series before getting your booster.
"If you've had your first two doses of Pfizer COVID vaccine as a primary series, you can now get your booster dose as early as five months after that second dose. It doesn't mean you have to get it five months. You can get it after that period of time," Dr. Alsip added.
"And we're seeing still a vast number of individuals who are succumbing to COVID 19 in the unvaccinated population that could have been prevented through vaccination. And I think that's what we need to emphasize at this point in time," Dr. Amthony Harris, the CEO and founder of HFit Health said.
From there, the hope is that there will be enough people vaccinated and boosted to keep these stop these new variants from popping up, just like many other diseases. "Hopefully we will build up sustained immunity. Much like hepatitis right hepatitis, you need a series of shots three to hepatitis B in particular to become immuno-competent against hepatitis," Dr. Harris added.
Medical experts say we could need another booster soon, but that depends on the progression of the pandemic and vaccine immunity. As far as how long the shots may be free, that also depends on how the pandemic progresses.