By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – Many Americans rolled up their sleeves for the third time on Monday to receive a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those eligible for the booster shot are people 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions.

Dr. John Wieland, Medical Director of Acute Care Services at Carle BroMenn Medical Center, said those who receive the third dose could experience symptoms.

“Most likely, I’ve read mixed reviews on that that the side effects of the third dose are not as severe as that second dose. But, honestly, if you challenge the immune system, which a booster will do, it sort of reignites or activates the memory of that immunity, you are probably going to get some symptoms.”

The CDC reports those 18 and older working in high-risk settings, like hospitals, are also available for a third booster shot. Additionally, the only vaccine approved for a booster shot is the Pfizer vaccine.

“The vaccine is actually the same dose. So it’s a third dose of the same vaccine,” Dr. Wieland told WJBC’s, Scott Miller. “So the same safety profile applies. I’ve said before; I think the vaccines are safe, I think that their indicated, I think the science is solid despite the rapidity in which they were developed. And I think they’re good.

I think the surge that we’re seeing from this Delta variant is overwhelmingly from an unvaccinated population. And even though we have some breakthrough infection, by in large, they are mild and not much worse than a regular flu season.”

Those who rolled up their sleeves on Monday included President Biden and Illinois Senior Senator Dick Durbin.

Starting Tuesday, the McLean County Health Department will begin scheduling booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].