Michigan State Chief Medical Executive Fields Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines on AARP Telephone Town Hall

“Michiganders age 65 and older, with pre-existing conditions, or in a nursing home setting should get the COVID-19 booster,” according to infectious disease expert Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, who spoke with participants during an AARP Michigan telephone town hall today.

Dr. Bagdasarian, recently appointed as the State of Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive shared with thousands of participants on the call from across Michigan that while several hundred thousand boosters have been administered since August, “Michigan remains at a high transmission rate, statewide particularly among K-12 students”.

“We’re expecting news regarding the vaccine for children ages 5-11 by the end of the month. And stay tuned for information on J&J and Moderna boosters. There’s more to come,” Dr. Bagdarian said.

Questions during the telephone town hall included:

Can you get a flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine or booster at the same time?

Dr. Bagdasarian responded affirmatively - you can get both at the same time and now is an excellent time to get the flu shot as we’re moving into respiratory viral season.

My brother missed his second vaccine. Does he need to begin the series again?

“This is an excellent conversation for him to have with his doctor. Generally, we do not recommend starting again but he should check with his doctor,” said Dr. Bagdasarian. Colin Powell is in the headlines. He died but had both vaccines.

“Colin Powell was at increased risk for COVID-19; he was over the age of 80 and was undergoing treatment for blood cancer, a serious underlying medical condition. No vaccine is 100% effective. If you are immunocompromised, wear a mask for added protection.”

My husband and I have been vaccinated and getting our boosters. Friends and relatives from out of state want to visit but don’t intend to be vaccinated. What should we do?

“I’d be concerned too. It’s difficult to wear a mask in your home all the time and no vaccine is 100% effective. The longer you’re exposed, the likelihood you may contract [the virus] increases. This is a difficult conversation to have with them but maybe it’s time to share your concern,” Dr. Bagdasarian answered.

I understand there’s a pill coming out. Will this help those who are unvaccinated? If I contract COVID-19 even though I’ve been vaccinated, will it help?

“The pill you’re referring to is the Merck pill and works similar to Tamiflu. There is good data which supports that it will help if taken early enough but nothing will take place of vaccines. The pill has not yet been approved. Prevention is always better than treatment.”

I have been vaccinated but my daughter and son-in-law refuse. I’ve talked with them about it. What else can I do?

Dr. Bagdasarian answered, “You are. You’ve shared your experiences.’

Those who participated on the call were asked two survey questions:

Have you received at least 1 shot of the vaccine?
88 percent said yes.

Do you believe that the vaccine should be mandatory?
78% said yes.

AARP recommends that people follow the guidance of the Center for Disease Control & Prevention for vaccines. The CDC recommends the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster for residents in long-term care settings; individuals age 65 and over; people age 50-64 with underlying medical conditions; and individuals age 18-64 at increased risk of exposure and transmission due to occupational setting.

Find information about the COVID-19 booster vaccine in Michigan, including qualifying medical conditions and how to obtain the booster here, and what to know about the coronavirus vaccines with this link.