Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, continues to offer COVID-19 vaccination walk-in clinics for patients, visitors and staff. Anyone 12 and older can attend these walk-in clinics. A parent or guardian needs to accompany children under On Tuesday, Sept. 14, Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, fielded questions about COVID-19 from news reporters and producers.
Each week, the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast shares the latest information on COVID-19. On today's episode, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, answers listeners' coronavirus questions.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester has added more COVID-19 vaccine walk-in clinics for patients, visitors and staff in response to the Food and Drug Administration's full approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and older, the recommendation of a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine immunocompromised people, and the potential for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots when they're approved.
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Both of my parents have been vaccinated for COVID-19. The doctor told my mom she is eligible for a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but my dad is not eligible for a booster now. Can you explain who needs an additional vaccine now, and the differences between a booster and third dose.
Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says getting vaccinated for the flu is safe. Billions of doses have been given for more than 80 years to prevent flu, reduce symptoms and protect people who are at higher risk of complications.
"There isn't a vaccine that is 100% effective at preventing illness," says Martin Herrmann, M.D., medical director of Mayo Clinic Health System in Waseca and New Prague. "Breakthrough cases of COVID-19 are going to happen, but the percentage is small. Also, the disease in vaccinated people tends to be much less severe than the diseases in unvaccinated people."