When should you get a COVID-19 booster? Mayo Clinic doctor offers advice

ROCHESTER, Minn. (WEAU) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently expanded eligibility for COVID-19 boosters to adults ages 50 and over as well as people ages 12 and over who are immunocompromised.

The new guidance may leave people wondering when it’s best to receive additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine or if they should get it at all. The head of Mayo Clinic’s vaccine research group, Dr. Gregory Poland, recommends talking to your primary doctor if you have questions.

“The recommendation about the booster is based on the concern of another surge, evidence of the beginning of surges around the world, and the characteristics of the BA.2 variant, which is another 30% to 50% more transmissible than omicron,” Dr. Poland said.

When it comes to other protective measures, Dr. Poland said those measures, such as widespread masking, still make sense scientifically and medically.

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