NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Some thousands of Tennesseans are overdue for their second COVID-19 vaccination that’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to CDC, 3.2 % of Tennesseans are overdue for their second COVID-19 vaccination. That’s 10,000 people.
“A dose delayed, is often never received,” Dr. William Schaffner with the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center said.
According to CDC, that includes those who received the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Health experts are urging people to not miss out on that second dose.
“Even after the first dose you are somewhat protected,” Schaffner said. “You get this amount of protection, but after the second dose, it goes way up high. You get much more security. You get up to that 95% and it helps ensure longer protection.”
Even if it’s been several months since that second dose, people don’t have to get that initial dose again.
“I have to tell you we haven’t studied this with COVID vaccines,” Schaffner said. “But all the other multiple vaccine doses that we know about you don’t have to start over.”
While it’s not preferred, health experts said that you can get a different second dose. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are very similar and it’s okay to get that second if that’s all that’s available.
