A third shot of the COVID-19 vaccines may be coming this fall, as sources say President Biden wants booster doses deployed around eight months after a second shot.
The news comes as the Delta variant rages across the country, and cases continue to rise in Pennsylvania.
The announcement by the Biden administration could come as early as this week and the third doses may be available as soon as the FDA grants full approval to both Pfizer and Moderna.
Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease expert with UPMC says health wise, that timing works well, as he expects a rise in Pennsylvania's cases this fall.
"I actually think that the timing of the booster dose will be well-timed for Central Pennsylvania," Goldman said, "we’ll be getting it right around the time we expect cases to be going up – in the fall as people go inside and get closer together.”
While the new guidance didn't surprise Goldman, he said that the booster dose is not any different than the first or second, and should be "of the same vaccine that you got your original vaccine series...so it’s the same vaccine, same dose, it’s just a third shot, and it’s the same shot as you got the first two times.”
While officials stress the current vaccines are extremely effective against the Delta variant, Goldman says that there is evidence to suggests the protection wanes over time.
However, while boosters may be a good thing for future protection, Goldman says they are not the most important aspect of the vaccine program.
“Almost everyone in our hospitals right now is unvaccinated, so I think the most important thing is not so much if you need a booster – but that if you haven’t been vaccinated, you should be.”