HARTFORD, Conn. — The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to allow people to mix and match COVID-19 booster shots.
Hartford HealthCare Chief Epidemiologist and System Director of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Ulysses Wu told FOX61 that the pros are boosted immunity and a more varied antibody response by getting another booster than the shot originally administered.
“It’s something that we have suspected for quite some time was going to happen and that it may be beneficial and I’m glad that they have looked into the literature and that this may be a possibility coming down the road,” Wu said.
The step could also provide more flexibility.
Liany Arroyo, Hartford’s health and human services director, says it would make things a bit easier for health care providers.
“If somebody doesn’t remember what vaccine they had, it makes it a little bit easier to say ‘okay, well, you knew it was Pfizer or Moderna, okay, which one do you prefer,’” she said.
As the name suggests the COVID-19 booster shot provides boosted immunity, something the Fountains from Cromwell are anxiously waiting for.
“Anything we can do to get protection am to get the general population vaccinated, the sooner we’re going to get over COVID,” Barbara Fountain said.
However, she says she won’t be mixing and matching booster shots.
“I have issues with allergies and whatever and I would like to stay with the one I got initially,” she said.
The booster shot drew mixed opinions from people we spoke with Tuesday afternoon.
“A little bit skeptical and of course they didn’t make that known when you were initially getting your vaccine and then they sort of suck you into that mode as well and there’s billions of dollars at stake here and the big pharmas getting rich,” Carl Giordano said.
Here’s where Dr. Wu said mixing and matching could be beneficial and he says there shouldn’t be any safety concerns:
“I think there is some literature that suggests maybe mixing and matching these vaccines, especially when it comes to J&J mixed with an MRNA vaccine, means your immune profile may be boosted by more so I think it’ll actually be the opposite and there shouldn’t be any concerns,” he said.
Wu said Hartford HealthCare is not currently administering mix and match style booster shots, but would look into it if approved by the FDA.
He anticipates that health providers might be allowed to administer booster shots in this way by the end of the year.
Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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