RELATED: Dr. Fauci Warns Vaccinated People Not to Gather Before Doing This. Over the past couple weeks, it’s become clear that booster shots are necessary in the face of the Omicron variant. Research has shown that while two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not particularly effective against Omicron, a booster shot ramps up antibodies and may be able to stave off symptomatic infection. One recent study found that while the two-dose Moderna vaccine was 50 times less effective against the new variant, combined with the booster it was about as effective as the two-dose vaccine is against Delta. As White House COVID adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, explained to CNN on Dec. 14, Omicron’s shocking transmissibility means that it will fast become the dominant variant in the U.S. And that makes boosters all the more essential. “Omicron is going to be a challenge because it spreads very rapidly, and the vaccines that we use—the regular two-dose mRNA—don’t do very well against infection itself,” he said. “But particularly if you get the boost, it is pretty good. There is no doubt that the optimal protection is going to be with three doses of an mRNA.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb If you’ve been holding off on getting your booster, there’s no time like the present to act, as Omicron spreads rapidly. New York City has seen cases double in three days in large part due to the new variant, a local CBS-affiliate reported. But there’s another reason why it’s a bad idea to put off your third dose any longer: You may not be able to get an appointment if you don’t book soon. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. In a Dec. 17 interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said that the current surge may make it difficult to get a booster shot in the near future. “We know Omicron moves very quickly,” he said. “This variant is going to move much more quickly through the country than Delta did, so people who are waiting to get a booster to afford themselves a measure of protection against this variant—time is running out to do that.” Booster shots are available at pharmacies across the country, but you can also check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccines.gov site to find a location in your area. As Fauci noted in a Dec. 17 appearance on Squawk Box, the current definition of “fully vaccinated” means two doses of an mRNA vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, but that is likely to change—and “there’s no doubt that optimum vaccination is with a booster.” With that in mind, it’s best to heed Gottlieb’s urgent warning sooner rather than later. “Appointments are going to fill up, demand’s going to surge,” he told CNBC. “The best way to protect yourself is a booster shot.” RELATED: The WHO Just Sent This Urgent Warning About Omicron to People Over 60.
