COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's not a matter of why for John Tolbert but when he will get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.
"I never did have any reluctance to getting the vaccine I knew that at this point in my life I needed to be vaccinated,” Tolbert said.
U.S. health leaders will soon provide COVID-19 booster shots to everyone as extra protection against the surging delta variant.
You'll be able to get the third dose eight months after you got the second shot of Pfizer or Moderna. That could be as early as Sep. 20th.
Tolbert said getting his is a choice he's making without hesitation.
"I'll get mine in November, it'll be eight months since I had my last shot,” he said.
But his reasoning for staying protected is much deeper and painful.
"I had a friend early in the pandemic last year that passed away. On the part of being, I don't trust it and probably a month later, he contracted it and two months later he was gone,” he said.
10TV spoke with Charleta B. Tavares, chief executive officer of PrimaryOne Health. She said the third shot will give people the strongest protection possible.
"The expectation is it will strengthen our immune system against the delta variant,” she said.
Tolbert hopes this is a wake-up call for many. He said it shouldn’t be a matter of why but when.
“Everybody has a right to make their own decision, but you need to make a decision of how it might affect others that you may love,” he said.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was not part of Wednesday's announcement, but health experts say booster shots are anticipated for this vaccine as well.
The government is waiting on more data about booster shots before making an official recommendation.