UW doctor: Recommendations for COVID booster shots could come soon

With the delta variant spreading rapidly, do Washington residents need to get booster shots?

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University of Washington Medicine’s Dr. Keith Jerome says if the CDC decides to encourage boosters in the next month or so, it will be for good reason.

“There’s really well-designed studies that are happening that will really answer this question: When is sort of the magic time when you say for the average person, they really ought to get a booster shot now? And I think we’re going to know that pretty soon,” Jerome said. “I think you’ll see recommendations coming out in the next month or so.”

In the long-term, Jerome does expect boosters will be needed for COVID, just like we get them for flu or tetanus. Plus, as with all vaccines, immunity wears off.

“Immunity from any vaccine is great early on, and then it slowly goes away. That doesn’t mean the vaccine is not good, it’s just what happens, it’s how the immune system works,” he said. “So we may need a booster for COVID as well.”

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Dr. Jerome also says that testing demand has been increasing and that they conducted 10,000 tests in a single day this past week.

The COVID-19 vaccine is available to people 12 years and older. Use Vaccine Locator to find and schedule an appointment in Washington state.