By Guy Page
It’s too early to determine whether Vermont will push a fourth shot for Covid-19, as recently recommended by Pfizer, a major vaccine manufacturer, Gov. Phil Scott and Health Commissioner Mark Levine said today.
Vermont Daily Chronicle asked at today’s press conference: “Pfizer is now recommending a fourth dose. What is your position on that? What, if anything, will be the state’s involvement in facilitating a fourth shot?”
“I haven’t seen or heard from the CDC or FDA, to see if it’s advised or not,” Scott said. “The reality is that there will be a series of boosters in the future, much like the flu.”
Then Health Commissioner Mark Levine intervened.
“They [manufacturers like Pfizer] don’t set the national policy as to how this plays up,” Levine said. “Right now the word we’re getting is that boosters will probably be necessary in the future, but this may not be the time…. without the pressure of a variant strain, we’re not going to see that now.” Levine also advised Vermonters to hold on to their masks and rapid tests, just in case.
Gov. Scott was asked if Vermont would ever return to employee vaccine mandates.
“I think it’s premature to determine that at this point in time. If we believe that Covid is going to become the next flu…I’d assume we’d treat it the same,” Scott said. Some hospitals require flu shots of all employees, he noted. “A widespread mandate is something that I do not foresee, unless something unforeseen happens.”