Is COVID-19 booster shot necessary?
Newswatch 16's Chris Keating spoke with a doctor at Geisinger Medical Center near Danville about the possibility of having to get a third shot. DANVILLE, Pa.  Earlier this week, Pfizer announced that it was going to seek the authorization of a third COVID-19 shot. Dr. Stanley Martin, the director of infectious diseases at Geisinger, explained what a booster shot is. "A booster shot is another dose of the vaccine to kind of help stimulate and strengthen that immune response with your immune system," Dr. Martin said. The drugmakers say that a booster shot may be needed because of waning immunity from the first two shots and the spread of the delta variant. Dr. Martin says that the first two doses have been doing a good job so far from what he has seen in our area. "It still seems to be doing a good job of preventing severe disease, reducing the risk of things like hospitalization or death, and which at the end of the day, is the most important thing a vaccine can do." Organizations like the CDC and FDA believe that a booster shot is not currently needed. Both organizations released this joint statement on the matter:  "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time. FDA, CDC, and NIH are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary." Olivia Sees of Danville had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. She told Newswatch 16 that she wouldn't hesitate to get a booster shot if it was needed. "I'd be OK with getting it because if I can prevent other people from getting sick and protect myself as well, that's what I'm going to do. I work in health care and I have elderly grandparents and I just want to protect people."