Dr. Mercado answers COVID-19 questions, Part 2
WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. CONTINUING OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT COVID 19 AS WE HEAD INTO THE WINTER. DR. JOSE MERCADO. GOOD ENOUGH TO BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON. HI AGAIN, DR. MERCADO. THIS VIEWER WANTS TO KNOW IF GETTING JUST A FLU VACCINE WILL HELP PROTECT THEM AGAINST COVID HERE. WE THINK THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT VIRUSES ALTOGETHER. BUT WHAT SAY YOU ABOUT THAT? YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANSWER TO HERE I AGREE WITH YOU IS IT’S NO DIFFERENT VIRUSES. SO IT TARGETS A DIFFERENT PART OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. SO FOR FOR YOU TO BE PROTECTED FROM COVID, YOU REALLY SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT GETTING THE THE COVID VACCINE AND THE APPROPRIATE ONE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE, GET THE THE BIVALENT VACCINE BECAUSE OMICRON IS PREDOMINANTLY CIRCULATING BY YOUR RIGHT BACK AND RIGHT. RIGHT NOW. AND SEPARATELY AS WELL, DOCTOR, YOU’RE SAYING FOLKS SHOULD GET THEIR FLU SHOTS. NOW, WE’RE GETTING A QUESTION IN THAT SAYS, IF I’VE RECENTLY HAD COVID 19, HOW LONG SHOULD I WAIT BEFORE GETTING ONE OF THE NEW SHOTS? WHAT IS THE TIMING THAT YOU’RE RECOMMENDING, DR.. YEAH, THE CDC DOES SAY THAT IT GIVES YOU ABOUT 90 DAYS OF NATURAL IMMUNITY AFTER YOU ARE INFECTED WITH COVID 19. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I THINK WITHIN 30 DAYS WE’VE SEEN SOME REINFECTIONS. SO I DON’T THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY STRICT ABOUT THAT. 90 DAYS. I THINK BETWEEN THE 30, 60 AND 90 DAYS, WE COULD START THINKING ABOUT GETTING THE VACCINE, PARTICULARLY IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE AT A HIGH RISK SITUATION. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THIS IS THE NEW COVID BOOSTER SAFE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN OR SHOULD THEY WAIT UNTIL AFTER THEY GIVE BIRTH TO GET IT? WELL, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE NOW AND EVIDENCE AS WELL AS WITH REGARDS TO THIS POPULATION. AND THE EXPERTS HAVE WEIGHED IN. AND THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WEIGH THE RISKS AND BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFITS REALLY OUTWEIGH THE RISKS HERE. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT SHOULD BE SAFE. OKAY. LET’S LEAVE IT THERE FOR NOW. DR. JOSE MERCADO FROM DARTMOUTH HEALTH, IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR SPE
Dr. Mercado answers COVID-19 questions, Part 2
Dr. Jose Mercado, regional medical director for inpatient quality at Dartmouth Health, answered viewer questions Thursday afternoon on News 9.
Dr. Jose Mercado, regional medical director for inpatient quality at Dartmouth Health, answered viewer questions Thursday afternoon on News 9.