Confused on getting a 4th COVID shot?

      

      If you are confused about getting the 4th shot here is some information to consider.  The Omicron variant is different than the earlier forms of the virus.  In one way this difference is good in that Omicron and its variants tend to lodge in the upper respiratory tract of the nose and bronchial tube.  If you get sick like bronchitis which is far less deadly than pneumonia which involves infection in the lungs that can lead to serious illness and death.  The earlier forms of the virus caused more lung infections and complications that caused the surge in hospitalizations and deaths.  Right now we don't see that surge with the later variants. Our present vaccines don't seem to protect us from Omicron infections of the upper respiratory tract but still protect against lung infections.  Getting additional shots to protect against the current virus seems to have a very short-term benefit if any at all.

      As long as the new variants remain upper respiratory illnesses it is reasonable to wait till there are nasal spray vaccines that are designed for the new variants.  Those vaccines are now being developed and maybe the form that will be used in the future to fight viruses rather than shots.  Stopping a virus in the nose is better than fighting it in the blood.