1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,280 JUDY WOODRUFF: As we reported, the government's top public health agencies 2 00:00:03,280 --> 00:00:08,280 are making vaccine boosters available to anyone in the U.S. 18 years or older. 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:13,600 As Stephanie Sy tells us, the change is aimed at helping during the winter months ahead. 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,880 STEPHANIE SY: Judy, starting this weekend, 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,880 boosters will now be available for any of the three federally approved vaccines. At least 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:27,560 10 states had already made this change as COVID cases rise, up 33 percent in the last two weeks. 7 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,280 For the moment, death rates are stable, 8 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,600 but the country is still averaging more than 1, 100 deaths a day. 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,960 For more on what we should know. I'm joined by Dr. Robert Wachter, 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,280 chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,000 Dr. Wachter, thank you for joining us on the "NewsHour." 12 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:47,040 Let's get right to it. 13 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,840 Would you at this point advise every adult to get a booster shot, and why or why not? 14 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,440 DR. ROBERT WACHTER, University of California, San Francisco: I would. I got mine a month or so ago. 15 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,360 But I have advised my 28- and 30-year-old healthy children to get them as well. 16 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,360 The boosters do three things. First of all, we now know that the efficacy of 17 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,960 the original shots does wane, starts waning at about five months and wanes 18 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:12,160 more the more time goes on. And the boosters do three things. One is, 19 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,880 they prevent mild infections, but mild infections can lead to long COVID. 20 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:21,760 The second is, they can prevent severe infections, which can lead to hospitalization and death. And 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,840 the third is, they keep the community safer. They decrease the amount of COVID in the community. 22 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,960 STEPHANIE SY: Isn't it still, though, Dr. Wachter, 23 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:33,960 the unvaccinated that are most at risk, not only for severe COVID, but behind community spread? 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,040 DR. ROBERT WACHTER: No question about it. 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:42,040 And, early on, people said, well, we should really concentrate on vaccinating the unvaccinated. 26 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:47,040 And when I heard that, I would say, what exactly does that mean? What are we not doing 27 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,920 to try to get the unvaccinated vaccinated? We have done everything I think we can humanly 28 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,960 possibly do. There are enough shots for everyone. 29 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,560 So, at this point, I think we can walk and chew bubblegum. I think we have to continue 30 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,680 to concentrate on trying to get people to get vaccinated in the first place, 31 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,080 but we also have to protect everyone else. And if you're un -- if you're vaccinated, 32 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,200 but you're more than six months out, your level of protection is 33 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,680 now somewhere between fully vaccinated and unvaccinated, so it's time to boost it up. 34 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,760 STEPHANIE SY: So let's talk about the efficacy of the booster shot and when it kicks in. 35 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:22,080 Does getting the booster shot, Dr. Wachter, mean you won't get COVID-19? 36 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,720 And will we have to get booster shots every six months? 37 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,200 DR. ROBERT WACHTER: Well, the vaccines aren't perfect, although these -- I think we forget. 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,080 We have gotten used to it. These are extraordinarily effective. 39 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,520 What the booster does is take -- if you remember those original efficacy numbers 40 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:40,520 of 95 percent effective in preventing cases of COVID, that number had waned to 50 or 60 percent. 41 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:47,200 The boosters bump you back up to at least 95 percent. You're probably even a little bit better 42 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:52,800 protected than you were after your two shots. They are miraculously effective. 43 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,840 How long does it take before they kick in? It looks like about a week. So, 44 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,360 a week after you have gotten your booster, you're back up to a level of protection 45 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,400 that was similar to the level you had two weeks after your second shot. 46 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,680 When will we need another shot? I think we will know when we know. Unfortunately, 47 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,680 there's no way of knowing. Because these shots waned in six months does not necessarily mean 48 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,480 that the booster will wane in six months. Because we have had a lag in time, 49 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:23,200 it gave the immune system more time to kind of mature. And so there's a good chance that we might 50 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:27,920 need one every year or two years, but I think we will only know as we see what happens over time. 51 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:29,360 STEPHANIE SY: Sure. 52 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,680 As we head into the holidays, though, Doctor, people are expected to gather. 53 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,040 If you have a booster shot, should you feel comfortable 54 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,760 not wearing a mask around your grandparents again, shopping at the mall without a mask? 55 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,600 DR. ROBERT WACHTER: Well, the way I approach life, Stephanie, is that, 56 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:50,600 now that I have gotten my booster, I am perfectly comfortable hanging around in indoor spaces 57 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,680 with other people who are fully vaccinated and, if they're eligible, who've also gotten a booster. 58 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,720 Anything other than that, hanging around with unvaccinated people 59 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,840 or people whose shots were nine months ago and who have not gotten a booster, 60 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:08,400 I'm a little more careful. I would wear a mask in those circumstances. If you can't, like you're 61 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,800 having Thanksgiving dinner together with them, I think that's a good use of the rapid tests. 62 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,000 So, if someone's unvaccinated or someone's 10 months out from their shots and hasn't 63 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 gotten a booster, I think it's reasonable to test them that morning. If they're negative, 64 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,720 you can be quite confident they're not infectious that day. And so that makes it safer. 65 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:29,720 But I think the rule is, vaccinated plus booster, if you're eligible, you are really 66 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:33,120 good to go. And if you're hanging out with other people like that, you really are quite safe. 67 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,680 STEPHANIE SY: Really appreciate that clear advice. 68 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,680 Dr. Robert Wachter, the chair of the Department of Medicine at U.C. San Francisco, thank you. 69 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:41,840 DR. ROBERT WACHTER: Thank you.