New COVID Booster Shouldn't Have Blanket Guidelines: Expert's Opinion

OCEANSIDE, NY — With COVID-19 numbers on the rise, the likelihood of another vaccine is expected in the coming weeks.

President Biden said last week he'll seek funding from Congress for a new shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to decide next month on the guidance for the new vaccine.

"We're in a much more nuanced position right now," Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of infectious disease at Mount Sinai South Nassau, told Patch. "Individuals will have to make decisions, as opposed to blanket guidelines for everybody."

COVID hospitalizations have jumped on Long Island. The most recent data from the state indicate 194 patients with COVID. There were 62 people in hospitals across the island on July 6.

Simply put, "there's more COVID around," Glatt said. "You're going to see the sickest people, the elderly be hospitalized."

It's a far cry from the 4,000 hospitalizations at the height of the pandemic in April 2020 or 2,200 during a Jan. 2022 wave as Glatt confirms it's "absolutely not" the same situation.

Glatt thinks a new booster would be beneficial for people 75 and older.

"I think younger people who are otherwise healthy probably don't need a booster, as long as they've had a booster," he said.

There's a triple threat as we head into the fall, with influenza and RSV, a concern for different groups, especially the older population, who are immunocompromised.

However, a 35-year-old, for example, who doesn't live with anyone who is sick and doesn't have newborns, Glatt said, "Maybe they just need the flu vaccine."

Glatt doesn't expect a repeat of mask mandates, although it's a good idea to use the facial covering in certain high-risk hospital units.

Do you agree with Dr. Glatt? Patch wants to hear your thoughts on a new COVID booster. Share your thoughts in the comments.