A local man tells his story of why he needs a booster shot.
WELCOME TO ABC ACTION NEWS AT 4:00. PAUL LaGRONE. COVID BOOSTER SHOTS COULD BE ON THE WAY FOR PEOPLE WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. THE F.D.A. EXPECTED TO AUTHORIZE THAT TODAY OR TOMOOW. MORE ON WHY A THIRD SHOT COULD BE VERY USEFUL. >> PATRICK NIELSEN IS STILL VIGILANT WITH SAFETY PRECAUTIONS DURING THIS PANDEMIC. HE HAD A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT, AND BECAUSE OF MEDICATION HE TAKES, HE EXPLAINS HE’LL BE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FOR LIFE. >> I JUST CAME BACK FROM A LAB WORK THIS MORNING AND TESTED TO SEE IF I HAD, YOU KNOW, ANTIBODIES IN MY BODY BECAUSE SOME OF THE MEDICATIONS YOU TAKE AND EVERYTHING WILL WIPE IT OUT. >> NIELSEN HAS ALREADY GOTTEN THE COVID VACCINE. THE C.D.C. SAYS THE VACCINES CAN BE SAFELY ADMINISTERED TO IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE BUT SAYS DATA SUGGESTS IMMUNE RESPONSE TO COVID VACCINATION MIGHT BE REDUCED FOR SOME IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE. IDEA OF POTENTIAL BOOSTER IF NEEDED FOR FOLKS LIKE HIM. >> I THINK IT’S A GREAT IDEA, IF IT’S NEED.ED I DO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DOCTOR NEXT WEEK, AND ONE OF THE TOP THINGS I WAS GOING TO ASK. >> WE HAVE SEEN IN ISRAEL AND FRANCE, THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED DOING THIRD DOSES FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE. >> DR. MICHAEL TANG EXPLAINS A SUBSET OF PEOPLE WITH BOTH DOSES OF THE VACCINES WHO FIND THEY HAVE NOT MOUNTED A ROBUST IMMUNE RESPONSE AGAINST THE VIRUS. COULD BE PEOPLE UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY, ORGAN TRANSPLANTS OR USING CERTAIN MEDICATIONS. >> THEN THEY GET ANOTHER DOSE AND THEN HIT THEM WITH AGAIN TRYING TO TELL THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM, THIS IS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A FOREIGN INVADER TRYING TO GET THE IMMUNE SYSTEM RAMPED UP AGAIN AND THEN YOU SEE IMMUNE RESPONSE. >> ASKED IF HE WOULD BE WILLING TO GET A BOOSTER PER A DOCTOR’S RECOMMENDATION, NIELSEN TELLS ME. >> AS LONG AS ALL THE BOXES GET CHECKED OUT BY THE DOCTORS AND
