SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — You ask, we answer!

We’re not done getting answers to your questions on COVID-19 booster shots.

Here’s the latest question on boosters sent to the Your Stories Team:

Is it reasonable to assume that for someone who has completed the full complement of vaccine and booster shots, that person should still be protected, and the effectiveness of those shots has not yet waned for the covered variants?

The CDC considers a person to be up to date when they’ve completed their primary COVID-19 Series and received the most recent booster.  

The latest booster became available for most last September. According to the CDC, only about 16 percent of people in the U.S. got the latest shot. 

To answer the most recent question on protection and if the booster’s effectiveness wanes, we consulted with Dr. Stephen Thomas, with Upstate Medical University:

“What we have seen is that booster vaccinations appear to have relatively steady protection against the more severe outcomes of COVID but their ability to protect against infection or more mild forms of disease does wane over time. The early data indicates the bivalent booster reduces the risk of severe COVID outcomes by about 60%.”

The FDA has recently proposed making the COVID-19 vaccine a yearly shot, similar to the annual flu shot. 

But that’s still being discussed and the pros and cons are being weighed.