Appearing on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Dr. Anthony Fauci got his COVID-19 booster shot on Wednesday at a Walgreens as Colbert watched.
During an interview with Colbert, Fauci revealed he just became eligible for the booster. Fauci said he needed to wait three months after being infected with COVID-19 to get the shot.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has primarily been seen as the face of the federal government’s response to COVID-19. Fauci recently announced he would retire as director after four decades.
During his appearance on Colbert’s program, Fauci answered some questions about the virus and vaccinations. One question Colbert posed was if COVID-19 shots might be needed forever.
Fauci said it is unknown, but added, “It is conceivable we might have to get a regular booster similar to what we do for influenza.”
Fauci’s appearance on Colbert comes at a time when some Americans, even those previously vaccinated against COVID-19, are skeptical about getting a booster shot. The updated booster is bivalent, meaning it has antibodies against the original strain and the omicron variant.
The Kaiser Family Foundation released a poll earlier this month indicating that 32% have either gotten a booster shot or plan to do so. An additional 18% said they will “wait and see.”
Some 27% said they’re not eligible for a booster shot. Booster shots are available to those ages 12 and up who have been previously fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The updated vaccines were in response to a virus that has mutated over the last two and a half years. Although the original shot was quite effective, the original vaccine has struggled to stop the spread of mild and moderate virus cases.
The new version of the COVID-19 vaccine is already available at many pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens.