FRIDAY AND THE START OF NEXT WEEKEND. JENNIFER: THERE CERTAINLYAS H BEEN A LOT OF TALK THIS WEEK ABOUT COVID BOOSTER SHOTS AND VACCINES FOR KIDS. AND IT'S RAISING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHATO T DO. JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOGYLO AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, DR. CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON. THANKS FOR JOINING US AGAIN. >> THANK YOU FOR HINAVG ME BACK. JENNIFER: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BOOSTERS, MODERNA AND J&J GOT APPROVED THIS WEEK. >> RIGHT, YEAH. SO THIS IS REALLY EXCITING NEWS. SO IMMUNITY WAYSNE A LITTLE BIT OVER TIME AFTER YOU GET A SHOT. IT DPSRO FROM THE 95% RANGE WE'VE HEARD FOR PFIZER AND MODERNA DOWN TO ETH 80S FOR MOST PEOPLE AND MBEAY LOWER FOR PEOPLE ELDERLY OR IMCOMPROMID.SE GETTING THIS BOOSTER CAN GET YOU BACK UP TO THE 90% LEVEL. J&J WAS NEVER QUITE AS EFFECTIVE. STILL A GREAT VACCE,IN YOU KNOW. 60, 70% EFFECTE.IV NOW WE HAVE DATA THAT IF YOU GET THE BOOSTER, YOU GET INTO THE 90% RANGE, ESPECIALLY IF YOUET G THE MRNA BOOERST IF YOU GOT THE J&J. JENNIFER: IS THERE A BENEFIT THAT IF YOU GOTHE T J&J, YOU SHOULD GET A DIFFERENT BOOSTER. >> THERE IS A SIGNIFINTCA BENEFIT TO GETTING THAT MRNA, EITHER THE MODERNA OR THE PFIZER AS THE BOOSTER AND YOU STARTED WITH THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE. JENNIFER: IF YOU GET A JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE AND GET A JOHNS JOHNSON & JOHNSON BOOSTER, ARE YOU GOING TO NEED ANOTHER BOOSTER. >> PROBABLY NOT. YOU'RE STILL GETTINGHE T BENEFIT OF REMINDING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM OF THE EVILS IN THE WORLD. I DON'T THINK YOU'LL NEED A BOOSTER ANY TIME SOONER THANOU Y WOULD ANYONE ELSE. >> FOR ANYONE WITH THE PFIZER OR MODERNA, IS THERE A BENEFIT TO SAYING IOT G MODERNA, GIVE ME THE PFIZER BOOSTER. >> THE DATA IS MIXED. THERE MIGHT BE A SLIGHT BENEFIT, BUT I THINK IT'S SO SLIGHT NO ONE SHOULD GO OUT OF THEIR W AY JENNIFER: WE'RE PROBABLY DAYS AWAY FROM A VACCINE BEING APPROVED FOR KIDS. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THEY COULD GET THE DOSE MAYBE THREE WEEKS APART AND THE DOSAGES ARE GOING TBEO SMALLER, RIGHT? >> THEY'RE AUTBO A THIRD OF WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN. UYO GET MAYBE A 300 POUND FOOTBALL PLAYER GETTING THE SAME DOSE AS A 5-AR-OLDYE CHILD WOULDN'T SMEE NORMAL. OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, NO. IS HE FROZEN? DR. THOMPSON. OH, SHOOT. OKAY. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING HIM BACK IN. I THOUGHT MAYBE I ASK AED BAD QUESTION AND HE DIDN'T WANTO T SWP OH, WAIT, HE'S BACK. CAN WE BRING HIM BACK? DO WE HAVE TIME? SOMEBODY, ANYBODY? >> YES,'M I BACK. >> LET'S KEEP GOING. THE BENEFITF O HAVING THAT SMALLER DOSAGE FOR KIDSS I THERE? >> YEAH. SO THE'SRE THIS IDEA THA CHILDREN ARE NOT JUST SMALL ADULTS. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT AND COMPLEX IMMUNE SYSTEMS. THE EA ISID WE HAD TO DO A LOT OF SAFETY TESTING AND A LOT OF EFFICACY TESTING TO SEE WHERE THAT CORRECT DOSE IS. IT TURNS OUT ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF WHT AN ADULT GETS GIVES EQUAL PROTECTION TO WHAT AN ADULT WILL HAVE. JENNIFER: ALL OF THIS,S A DOCTORS AND NURSES HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, AND NOW THERE'S ANOTHER VARIANT. >> RIGHT. IT'S CALLED DTAEL PLUS OR AY.4.2. IT'S INHE T U.K. IS WHERE WE'RE SEEING IT SHOW UP MOST OFTEN. IT'S ABOUT 6% OF NEW INFECTIONS THERE AND IT'S ABOUT 10% MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, WE THINK. NOW, DELTA AND ALPHA WERE 50% MORE TRANSMISSIBLE SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO KIND OF LOOK AT AND KEEPUR O EYE OUT. JENNIFER: DR. THOMPSON, THANKS - FOR JOINING US AND HANGING IN - THERE WITH OUR TECHNIC