Dr. John Vanchiere, Infectious Disease Specialist LSU Health Shreveport
Drugmaker Pfizer is advocating for a booster dose of their vaccine as immunity is waning among COVID variants. But the CDC and FDA issued a joint statement against a booster shot right now. LSU Health Shreveport infectious disease specialist Doctor John Vanchiere said in the meantime we should focus on vaccinating more people.
“Right now, there’s not enough science, and that’s what CDC and FDA have said, there’s not enough science data available to recommend boosters at this time,” said Vanchiere.
Vanchiere who served as the lead investigator of the Pfizer vaccine clinical trials at LSH Health Shreveport said the Delta strain has quickly become the leading variant in the state and country,
Vanchiere said Louisiana ranks 49th in the U-S among vaccination and the percentage of those vaccinated in the state is well below 40-percent, even below 30-percent in some areas. Vanchiere said the key is the increase vaccination rates to ward off more variants.
“The vaccine is not as effective against the Delta variant as it was against the Alpha variant and the original Wu Han strain of coronavirus,” said Vanchiere.
Currently, there are booster clinical trials underway with both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Vanchiere said the pandemic is only at the halfway mark and until we have more data on boosters, those who are unvaccinated need to roll up their sleeves.
“We may have that data in the next few months, but right now it’s much more important to get people vaccinated than to use vaccines to give boosters,” said Vanchiere.
On Friday, the state reported 967 new COVID cases, 10 fatalities, and 372 hospitalizations.
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