Adam’s Journal
Here’s a question from an Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation coworker:
My wife and I are about to go on a long-anticipated trip to Europe. I got my last Covid booster almost a year ago, and I’m in my early 60s. Given the number of cases going around now, should I get another shot before I travel?
Tony Thornton
Edmond
Dr. Scofield Prescribes
The good news is that new Covid vaccines are in the final stages of development, and they will soon be widely available. These vaccines will target what’s known as the JN.1 strain, which is closely related to the strains causing the current uptick in cases, which are collectively known as FLiRT.
Unfortunately, it sounds like you’ll be heading out before the new vaccines will be ready.
The FLiRT mutations that are currently circulating mean that last year’s vaccine is probably not as effective as the new vaccines will be.
If you hadn’t received last year’s vaccine, I might still recommend it, as it would generate some protective effect. However, because you got your shot, you likely still have some of that protection. So, I would not recommend another shot until the new vaccines become available.
In the meantime, if you find yourself in situations with high exposure risks – such as being packed into an airport like a sardine, which is the situation I find myself in as I write this – a mask is a great idea.
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Adam Cohen is OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel. Dr. Hal Scofield is a physician-scientist at OMRF, where he is a professor in the Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program. Scofield also serves as Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the Oklahoma City Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
