First Dose or Booster, Every COVID Shot Matters

Sometimes, life offers you an opportunity to take a stand. Helping to spread truths about how to accurately combat COVID-19 is one of them. In my case, choosing to be a part of the Pfizer booster study and recently receiving a third COVID-19 shot is another one of them. It warms my heart that so many people -- whether they're healthcare workers or not -- are trying to do their part in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

While I've felt that it is my duty as a doctor to do whatever I can to fight this pandemic, countless people simply don't feel this way. It makes me wonder, how can we motivate behavioral change in those who haven't done their part?

Deciding to Participate in the Booster Trial

For me, choosing to be a part of the initial Pfizer trial was simple. For others who decided to take part, it wasn't so easy -- my sister was quite fearful (just kidding, sort of). Being a prominent breast radiologist in her own right, we both discussed how regardless of the side effects, being offered the opportunity to participate in a vaccination trial that will help people wasn't a gamble and was something we simply had to do.

We have never seen a variant as alarming as Delta, but if history has dictated anything, it won't be the last. Until people get vaccinated, mask up, and social distance, this vicious cycle will continue to perpetuate.

Thus, when the clinical research representatives of Pfizer called me and offered me a chance to be part of the booster trial, I again didn't hesitate to respond to what I felt was my duty. The first two vaccines left me with malaise, myalgia, and fatigue that was easily countered by a good weekend of sleep. I figured the booster dose would simply encapsulate the side effects of the first two doses. For the most part, it did (exacerbated a bit by ongoing mental fatigue from work). Since then, I've felt completely back to normal physically -- and mentally, I'm feeling even better, knowing I might have an extra layer of protection against the especially infectious COVID-19 variants.

FDA just authorized booster shots for certain immunocompromised people, and it's possible the general population will need them down the line as well. For me, it was well worth the extra day of fatigue to have contributed to the booster science.

Encouraging Others to Do Their Part

So, here we are, with basically half the country vaccinated, half the country not. The numbers don't lie: beds are filling up yet again with COVID-19 patients, overwhelmingly due to the individualistic mindsets of the predominantly unvaccinated folks who occupy said beds. The stress of healthcare providers is rising again -- this time due to the devastating effects of the virus on those who don't believe the virus truly exists or don't see how getting vaccinated can benefit the greater good, as well as themselves. Misinformation is rampant. Until it hits home, people tend to believe what they want to believe. On the opposite end of the pole, people who believe in the science are boiling over with frustration.

I was born and bred and now live and work in a small town where vaccine mistruths, hesitancy, and the lack of a mask mandate reigns prevalent. Gaudy bumper stickers and a "heightened" sense of American patriotism tend to dictate the rule.

During the pandemic, I've found it can be difficult to connect with certain patients, regardless of the approach I use, and even when I share scientifically backed information. I know many other providers feel this way too: working day after day on the front lines, seeing the deadly toll of the virus, and feeling powerless in our quest to advocate scientific truths. I've found that for some reason, an overabundance of information leads to fear -- and this fear has been shown to spread like wildfire. Social media and its "politics," in many sad cases, are the guiding diatribe over the educated dialect of the doctor.

In discussing each person's role during the pandemic, one approach I've taken with patients -- and found useful -- begins with the analogy of driving a car. Some people choose to wear seat belts and some don't. However, each group can get into an accident. Usually, those who wore a seat belt suffer fewer injuries than those who did not. But that doesn't mean each group can drive recklessly, as they can still incur potentially damaging accidents upon others. We have to keep reminding patients of the role they play in the greater good. Honesty is the best policy, but sometimes, being honest isn't always what people want to hear. If it can save patients and their families from a life of pain, however, then I believe it is always justified.

This fight isn't easy. It's painful and hard and frustrating. Was it enjoyable to feel exhausted for yet another 24 hours after my third dose when millions are refusing to get their first and second doses? Not really. Is it easy to stay positive while explaining to vaccine-hesitant patients over and over that the shot is safe and effective? Absolutely not. We can't give up, however. While we need to be the ones to lead by example, inevitably for some time, we will be the ones who suffer. But in the end, we can make a difference. We can be the ones to calmly and patiently discuss with patients their role in the pandemic. And one by one, patient by patient, we can get every patient vaccinated.

Samir Patel, MD, is the clinical director for PACT Atlanta.

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