CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pfizer is now testing its booster shot, or third dose, of the COVID-19 vaccine in a few locations across the Mecklenburg County, including Charlotte.

 

What You Need To Know

In April, the CEO of Pfizer said people will likely need a third shot of the vaccine or a booster within a year

This is because the efficacy of the vaccine can wane over time

In Israel, the Ministry of Health reports the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine has decreased about 40% since January

Pfizer reports it is trying to develop this vaccine to target the delta variant

 

Initial data from the study demonstrate a booster dose given six months after the second dose has a consistent tolerability profile while eliciting high neutralization titers against the wild type and the beta variant, which are 5 to 10 times higher than after two primary doses. 

When Shannon Weatherly first saw headlines about COVID-19 in 2020, she was worried. She has three autoimmune diseases and wasn’t sure how her body would react to the virus.

“For me, I felt that my immune system was already in a position of being compromised,” Weatherly said. “So I wanted to get vaccinated as soon as I could.”

Last year, she started doing research to find out how she could get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. She found an ad on social media and immediately signed up. It was for the first two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“I have been fully vaccinated since September of last year, so I have started to wonder whether or not, or when, we would need a booster,” Weatherly said.

When she found out that Pfizer was testing out its third shot, she signed up again. Some people are given a placebo and some the real vaccine. Pfizer confirmed the placebo is saline solution, or salt water.

“Just for the record, a placebo is nothing but saline, nothing but salt water,” Weatherly said. “So there is no reason to have a reaction. I had a little pain in my arm and a little bit of itchiness. I think it is a reasonable guess that I may have gotten the vaccine again.”

Weatherly said now she feels more protected, and she hopes others will get the same chance if the trial results are promising.

“I feel lucky to be one of 10,000 people that are undergoing this trial," Weatherly said. “I feel honored to be a part of science in this way.”

Pfizer recently released a report stating they are trying to make its booster vaccine more effective against the delta variant. 

“The companies are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the full spike protein of the delta variant,” the report said.

To read the full report, click here.