Richard Klasco, MD, professor of emergency medicine at Boston-based Harvard Medical School, answered questions about flu boosters for The New York Times, Nov. 9.
One question, submitted by an anonymous user, asked if two flu shots protect better than one.
Dr. Klasco answered a flu booster doses potentially makes a flu vaccine more effective, but any benefits are limited to a few specific groups.
Dr. Klasco identified children ages 6 months to 8 years as one of the most vulnerable populations that should receive a flu booster, citing the CDC.
Boosters also may help protect people from a pandemic-level flu virus. Organ transplant recipients may benefit from a flu booster's extra antibody protection against the flu.
Dr. Klasco urged people outside of these groups to not take flu vaccine boosters due to increased risk of adverse reactions.
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