Switching shots: Health experts discuss if people can receive different brand for booster COVID-19 vaccine

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently recommend staying consistent with the type of vaccine a patient receives, especially with the two-dose vaccines, Pfizer or Moderna.

"The second dose should be the same as the first whenever possible," said Dr. David Weber, an infectious disease expert at UNC Health

The recommendation is based off of the data that scientists have at the moment. But they are constantly learning more about how patients react to each vaccine.

"In the future, people are studying this, it may be beneficial to get two different vaccines because maybe they broaden the antibody response," said Weber. "So, maybe, there would be an advantage of getting a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and then a Johnson & Johnson [vaccine] at some point in the future."

Weber said vaccine companies are studying whether booster vaccines are needed to help patients retain the antibodies to fight against any variants of COVID-19.

"The vaccine companies are already anticipating those possibilities. They are already doing trials and giving people the same vaccine as a booster to see how they respond and make sure it's safe. They are busy developing new vaccines that will cover new variants, if we need that in the future," he added.

Weber said that, as scientists and doctors continue to learn more about each vaccine and the possibility of switching vaccines, it's critical for the public to understand the importance of getting vaccinated.

"The vaccine doesn't protect you if it stays in the vial or the syringe" Weber said.