Following Pfizerâs announcement that a booster shot for the COVID-19 vaccine could be in the future, some may be wondering why it is needed.
âThereâs nothing definite yet about having a booster for the Pfizer or Moderna, but itâs likely that theyâll be some type of annual vaccination,â Said Dr. Steven Berk, an Infectious Disease physician and dean of the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.
Some people have been vaccinated now for six months, what is unknown is whether the antibodies are still around, Berk said. There is not enough data yet to know for sure whether a booster shot will be needed for the COVID-19 vaccine, but Pfizer and Moderna are anticipating the need for the booster.
On March 9, the Graduate School of Biomedical Science, part of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, hosted their annual Student Research Week. This event is a student-run opportunity for all
A plane was engulfed in flames at the Preston Smith International Airport on March 11, 2020, as the City of Lubbock hosted an emergency exercise.Â
Later that day, the City received the first COVID-19 case, and Dr. Ronald Cook came to the forefront in helping guide the city during this time as the local health authority.
Before becoming the health authority for Lubbock, Cook said he had always wanted to be a physician from a young age.
âThe human body is a fascinating piece of artwork and all of its inner workings and how they have to work together,â Cook said.Â
His fascination with medicine only grew once he was an upperclassman in high school. He pestered his local hospital into becoming an orderly, he said. Donning his white shirt, white pants and his white band shoes, Cook became a self proclaimed âtrauma junkieâ while working in the emergency room.
The COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine differs from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.
Katherine Wells, director of public health for the City of Lubbock, explained some differences between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
âThe technology with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different from the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines,â Wells said. âModerna and Pfizer are mRNA vaccines, and Johnson & Johnson is a more traditional vaccine.â
Wells said the initial data showed Moderna and Pfizer are more protective than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine trials were done later when there were more vaccine trials.