MORGANTOWN — COVID-19 Czar Clay Marsh again pushed vaccine boosters during Wednesday’s COVID briefing.
He noted some new data from Israel, where Pfizer has been the primary vaccine, showing the booster can be effective for as long as nine to 10 months, where the original two-dose vaccine started to lose effectiveness after four months and required a booster after six months.
Here and worldwide, he said again, we know the pandemic won’t become endemic — essentially seasonal like the flu and cold — until 85% to 90% of the population has immunity. Where we stand now, at just over 50%, “we have a lot of room to grow and help people become vaccinated.”
He pointed out that only 276 people out of the 4,592 who have died in West Virginia were fully vaccinated, showing how important the vaccine’s protection is.
As of Wednesday, only 48,504 residents had received boosters. “We’re losing our focus,” he said. “I personally don’t understand why people aren’t doing that right now, I really don’t.”
He urged people who’ve had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to get one of the mRNA boosters: Pfizer or Moderna, preferably Moderna.
Responding to a question about whether experts foresee everyone needing boosters every nine to 10 months for the coming years, Marsh said the data isn’t in yet and it all depends on the virus not mutating again. “Depending on what happens with the virus, a lot of this conversation could change.”
Gov. Jim Justice offered a comment, too: “If that’s the worst that happens in our lives, so what?”
The COVID briefings typically detour into politics and other matters, and Justice addressed rumors of gas shortages across the state. A few places have run out, he said, but that may be because of a run on the pumps.
They’ve talked with Marathon, he said, and been assured there is no gas shortage. “There is nothing to be alarmed about at this time, as far as everything we’ve been told.”
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp EMAIL dbeard@dominionpost.com
