Will booster shots be needed for the COVID-19 vaccine? Medical experts say they're not sure

VACCINATED CONTINUES - THEQUESTION TURNS TO BOOSTERS.WILL IT BE SOMETHING WE NEEDTO GET EVERY YEAR - LIKE THEFLU VACCINE?

AS REPORTER JULIOAVILA EXPLAINS, HEALTH EXPERTSSAY THEY'RE STILL NOT SURETHEMSELVES.DOCTORS URGE PEOPLE TO GET THEFLU VACCINE EACH YEAR, BUTWILL IT BE THE SMEA WITH THECOVID-19 VACCINE?

"I THINK THEREALITY IS WE DON'T KNOW FORSURE." DR. DANNY AVULA - OFTHE VIRGINIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT- JOINED A ROUNDTABLE OFCONCERNED RESIDENTS ANDORGANIZATION LEADERS TOADDRESS THIS CONCERN TODAY.WHILE HE SAYS H EIS NOT SUREOF THE DETAILS OF A COVID 19BOOSTER, HE POINTS TO HOWVIRUSES CAN CHANGE STRAINS -FOR EXAMPLE THE FLU.

(SUPER:DR. DANNY AVULA -- VIRGINIAVACCINE DISTRIBUTIONCOORDINATO)R "THAT LOGIC WOULDLEAD US TO THINK THAT, YOUKNOW, WHAT WITH NEW MUTATIONS,NEW VARIATIONS WE MAY NEED NEWVARIATIONS OF THE VACCINEITSELF." COVID-19 HAS MUTATEDTO OVER THE LAST YEAR WITHRESAERCHERS TRACKING THELATEST VARIANT - DELTA - BACKTO INDIA.

AND THE NEED FORBOOSTER SHOTS MAY BE SOONERTHAN YOU THINK.

"IF I HAD TOGUESS, I WOULD GUESS LATEWINTER OR SOMETIME IN THESPRING OF 2022.

WE'VE HEARDSOME NATIONAL EXPERTS SAY ITMIGHT EVEN BE BY THE END OFTHIS YEAR." HE ALSO SAYS THESTATE IS PREPARED, USING ITSEXISTING OF NETWORK OFDISTRIBUTION SUCH AS THROUGHDOCTORS OFFICES ANDPHARMACIES.

BUT THE CDC WOULDNEED TO FIRST DETERMINE THOSEBOOSTER VACCINE GUIDELINES.

"ITHINK WE, FOR BOOSTERS, WILLBE ABLE TO RELY ON THOSEEXISTING PATHWAYS AND NOT HAVETO RE- STANDUP LARGE COMMUNITYMASS- VACCINATION CENTERS." SOFAR, HE SAYS VIRGINIA IS JUSTUNDER THE 70 PERCENTVACCINATION GOAL SET BYPRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.

THIRTYPERCENT OF CHILDREN AGES 12THROUGH 15, AND 47 PERCENT OFTHOSE AGES 16 AND 17 AREVACCINATED.

"THE WORK IS GOINGTO CONTINUE THIS SUMMER FOR USTO REALLY CONTINUE ENCOURAGINGPEOPLE, ADULTS AND CHILDRENALIKE, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OFVACCINATIO.N" JULIO AVILA,NEWS 3.