Question: My question is that my son’s last three covid tests done at his school were negative, but he informed us today that one of his teachers and friends tested positive yesterday. My son’s rapid test from today is also negative, but there is a chance he was exposed yesterday because he was in the same room with these individuals who tested positive. My question is: His booster is scheduled for tomorrow. Can he still get it even though there is an exposure risk? I looked online and could not find a single answer.

Answer: Here’s my suggestion:  First, talk with  your doctor.  Second, since he’s already vaccinated and isn’t experiencing symptoms, he can still get the booster.  He should wear a well-fitting, medical-grade mask when he goes to get the 3rd dose.*  Because we’re in a big wave right now and the likelihood of future exposure events is high, I don’t see the benefit of putting it off.  

*CDC quarantine guidelines recommend that people who are vaccinated and exposed without any symptoms can generally go about their lives as long as they wear a well-fitted mask with others and test 5 days post-exposure; CDC also recommends that anyone exposed, regardless of vaccination status, avoid travel and avoid being around people who are high risk.  For folks who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated (e.g., only 1st dose of Pfizer/Moderna), CDC recommends waiting until quarantine ends in order to reduce the risk of onward transmission. CDC also reminds us that vaccination does not work as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.