Local health organizations have begun distributing COVID-19 booster shots. However, they are currently being limited to the immunocompromised.

COVID-19 vaccinations have demonstrated a high degree of effectiveness in protecting people, but the level of immunity may wane over time. Early data points to higher infection rates in people who were vaccinated in January compared to people vaccinated much later.

However, experts still remain undecided as to whether COVID-19 boosters will be necessary for the general populace. Currently the CDC recommends boosters for people with immune issues which would lessen the effectiveness of the original doses for them. These people are suggested to get a third shot 28 days after their second.

On Friday September 17th, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee met to discuss COVID-19 boosters and rejected a proposal to distribute boosters to the general public. They did recommend booster shots for people 65 and over as well as other vulnerable people.

Because of this latest recommendation, it is expected that the Biden administration and the CDC may update their guidelines for COVID-19 boosters to allow more people access, particularly the elderly. It may still be some time before the general public is able to obtain booster shots.

Despite the guidelines limiting boosters to the immunocompromised, a lot of people on social media are reporting having received a booster. There are claims that most places rely on the “honor system” in determining whether someone is immunocompromised or not, which means many places may provide a third dose to someone requesting one with no proof of underlying conditions.

We were told to allow the honor system on qualifying for a booster at this time. I know a good number of people that had a booster and don’t qualify (yet)

— Andrew Moyer (@PharmDrewMoyer) August 31, 2021

Local hospitals and pharmacies are able to administer booster shots currently. The third dose will be free to people, just as the first two were, though insurance companies may be billed. Hospitals like Nor-Lea are limiting third doses to the immunocompromised but it is unclear what steps they are taking to verify this status.

Because there could be some drop off in immunity over time, there is still a chance the booster shots will be recommended to everyone at some point. The booster shot is the same material as the first doses, but medically it reacts differently because of who is receiving it. Boosters help combat natural decline in immunity and help lock in immunity long term.

While boosters may be of benefit to everyone, experts are still uncertain whether these benefits outweigh potential side effects.

It’s also possible health experts are trying to prevent a shortage of doses, particularly because so many people are still unvaccinated. These doses could be used to fully vaccinate people.

In terms of long term public health, fully vaccinating the unvaccinated is a higher priority than providing third shots to people already fully vaccinated. Even people who might have immune issues may still have some degree of protection from being fully vaccinated. As cases have risen drastically over the past couple of months, experts are focusing efforts on reaching the unvaccinated with some communities in the country going as far as to implement vaccine mandates, such as Seattle which is requiring vaccination in order to enter entertainment establishments or attend outside events with more than 500 attendees. The New Mexico State Fair required proof vaccination earlier this month for attendance.

There is also a considerable global component to this pandemic. While the US has lots of vaccine doses available with the means to produce more quickly, not all countries are as fortunate. So debate is ongoing about how beneficial it would be for wealthier countries to give vaccine doses to countries in need. New variants can come from anywhere in the world, so it is in every country’s best interest to have more people around the world fully vaccinated.

Because of this it might make more sense for countries like the US to work toward fully vaccinating people in other countries before providing third doses to their own citizens. Still, local vaccination numbers are low, particularly in Lea County with less than a third of eligible people fully vaccinated. New Mexico recently extended its indoor mask mandate in response to the high level of community transmission in the state.

Health experts and government officials will be working to decide the best course of action regarding COVID-19 boosters. The current guidelines limit boosters to the immunocompromised, but many expect the elderly will be recommended to receive booster shots sometime next week. Whether booster shots will open up to the general public remains to be seen, and it could be a while still before such a recommendation is made, if it ever is.