Wednesday, August 11th 2021, 5:14 pm
Research is being done locally to understand COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and how they could interact with other needed vaccines.
The Lynn Institute has been a site for COVID-19 vaccine trials throughout the pandemic.
Right now, they are helping with the younger kids' vaccine and a booster trial.
"If you're unvaccinated, it's not a matter of if you are going to get COVID, it's when you are going to get COVID," said Carlos Blanco, the institute's president and CEO.
That's his message to everyone; protect yourself and protect the people around you.
With breakthrough cases a topic of discussion, News 9 asked Blanco about the current vaccines. He said the vaccines are doing what they are supposed to by keeping vaccinated people out of the hospital and preventing severe illness.
"I think the testament is when you look at the people that are in the hospital," said Blanco. "We're not looking at people that are in the ICUs. These aren't people that are vaccinated. They're people that have been unvaccinated."
News 9 also asked about boosters, a third potential shot for Oklahomans.
"I think what the FDA and the CDC is leaning to right now is vaccinating people who are immunocompromised with a third vaccine," said Blanco.
He anticipates that being available to the high-risk category sometime in early winter.
Right now, the Lynn Institute is helping study how a booster would interact with other shots.
"Our Norman office is giving a booster, giving everyone a third shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer and then an mRNA flu vaccine or an mRNA shingles vaccine in combination," said Blanco. "Because again, we need to see how these vaccines are all going to work together."
They think, right now, those vaccines are going to work together very well.
Blanco told News 9 at this point in time, the COVID-19 vaccines appear to show some amount of protection for at least a year.
August 11th, 2021
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