Is it time for another COVID booster? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

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

Cynthia asks, "While watching the Oscars last night, I caught an ad recommending that vulnerable individuals who hadn't received a booster since September should get the bivalent vaccine. If I had mine back in October, is it time for me to get another booster?"

I saw the same ad, Cindy, and I think it was targeting the many people who have not yet received the bivalent booster which became available last September. However, if you already received it in September or October, for example, you are still considered up to date on your vaccines and do not need to get another booster yet.

We are waiting to hear from health officials if and when another booster will be recommended and whether the formulation will be tweaked from the last updated booster.

Scientists at MIT are working on an "ultimate" vaccine that could one day protect against all variants of the COVID-19 virus. That may take a couple of years. We'll keep you posted.

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

In:
• COVID-19

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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