FLINT, Mich. – The FDA announcing today that they will not be approving the Pfizer booster shot.
The World Health Organization also against a booster, citing richer nations shouldn't pump out third doses when poor countries don't have enough to give out first shots.
This is an ironic coincidence after reports that some people have received third shots, despite specific qualifications, and it's causing confusion among those wanting a third dose.
"There is a difference between the third shot and the booster shot," Sherelle Bell-Brown, M.S. at the Genessee County Health Department Emergency Health Educator says.
Those who are not immuno-compromised will have to wait, if they want another dose. Those who are are welcomed to get one.
Read more on rejected booster:FDA advisory panel rejects widespread Pfizer booster shots
"When I say that the third dose and the booster shot are not the same thing, I do not mean that they aren't the same ingredients. I mean that we are trying to achieve different results for those who are immune compromised. We want to build their immunity for the covid-19 virus, therefore they receive a third dose" Bell-Brown said.
The Genesee County Health Department says there are cases of individuals who have ignored the qualifications of the third vaccine dose and have received another shot anyway.
"If they come in we are not giving any barriers to induvial who say they are immuno-compromised. We want to trust people and believe that they're coming in to get that third dose in good faith," Bell-Brown said.
Read more:Expired vaccines in Genesee County
The jury is still out on what would happen if someone received additional vaccines that were not needed. As for the Geneses County Health Department, they say they do check before giving out a vaccine.
"We do check MICR, which is the Michigan Improved Care Registry, to make sure that vaccines that are being administered with proper timeframes in-between," Bell-Brown says.
Now those who are receiving third COVID vaccines right now, who are immuno-compromised, will be eligible to receive the booster as well once it is available.
"So if you received a third dose because you are immuno-compromised, you will have the availability to receive a booster shot once it's authorize.. and that's just 8 months after you receive that third dose," Bell-Brown says.
As of right now, It's not clear when the third shot will be out for everyone to take,