Do Booster Shots Protect Against The Omicron Variant? Dr. Mallika Marshall Answers Your Questions
BOSTON (CBS) -- Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your coronavirus-related medical questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.
Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.
Meagan asks, "Should I wait to get my booster until they figure out whether the shot protects against the new variant?"
No. Don't wait. Don't delay. Get your booster now if you're eligible. We don't know how things are going to evolve with the Omicron variant and there is some optimism that the vaccines and boosters will still provide protection. In the meantime, the Delta variant is still the predominant variant in the U.S., and you want to protect yourself from it as best you can right now.
Bonnie writes on Facebook, "My grandson will be five in January. Should we try to get his first vaccine now given the new variant?"
You can't get him vaccinated until he turns five, but I hope his parents will do it at that time. In the meantime, the best way to protect him against the coronavirus, including the new Omicron variant, is to make sure that the adults and older children around him are vaccinated and boosted, if appropriate.
Charlie asks, "Omicron is the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet, so is it the 15th variant?"
The WHO has been using the Greek alphabet to name new coronavirus strains so as not to stigmatize countries where they have been detected. The first, identified in the U.K., was called the Alpha variant. The next detected in South Africa was called Beta and so forth. You probably haven't heard of many of the others because they didn't become a big problem. They have continued down the alphabet, skipping two so far, including Nu, which sounds like "new," and Xi (pronounced "chee"), which is a common last name.