41-year-old Ryan Caprio, of Buffalo, was among the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Erie County.
“I didn’t want to die from COVID,” he explained.
That’s also partly why the Buffalo Public School teacher said he would also get a booster shot should they become recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s just out of responsibility to other people clearly because you don’t want them to get sick by spreading it to them.”
According to theC.D.C. website, "the need for and timing for COVID-19 booster doses have not been established. No additional doses are recommended at this time.”
New research suggests the vaccine may produce lasting immunity for years. The research, conducted by Washington University in St. Louis and published in the journal Nature—suggests that immunity might last for years, possibly a lifetime, in those who were infected with the Coronavirus and later vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. But, it is unclear whether being vaccinated alone might have a similarly long-lasting effect.
University at Buffalo Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Timothy Murphy said vaccine data is still being collected and analyzed. “We now know about six months out that they continue to be highly effective.” “A booster shot will reinvigorate that response similar to the tetanus vaccine where we need a booster every 10 years. Another reason we might need a booster is if a variant arises where as our initial vaccination does not afford optimal protection,” added Veteran’s Hospital Dr. Thomas Russo.
