Health

When should I get my next Covid booster? Dr. Mallika Marshall anwers your questions

By Mallika Marshall, MD

May 25, 2023 / 5:41 PM EDT / CBS Boston

When should I get my next Covid booster?

BOSTON - Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your medical questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.

Dale in North Falmouth writes, "My wife and I both last tested positive for COVID two weeks ago. We are both over 70 and had the bivalent booster in September. When should we get another booster?"

You're over 65, so you're eligible for a second bivalent or updated booster now, but I would wait a couple more months before getting it.

According to the CDC, if you have recently had COVID, you may want to wait at least three months before getting a booster. You're unlikely to get reinfected during that time and increasing the time between infection and vaccination may trigger a better immune response after the shot.

Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.

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COVID-19 Vaccine

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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