The approval of the Pfizer vaccine booster shot has led to a number of questions before patients in Central and Western Mass. start getting their shots.

UMass Memorial Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Richard Ellison says the current doses of coronavirus vaccines are still very effective in preventing severe cases of COVID-19.

More than 4,600,000 people in Massachusetts are fully vaccinated, with almost 30,000 more being fully vaccinated in the last week. Dr. Ellison is hoping the positive case numbers will go down before before the cold weather rolls in and there are enough vaccines to start giving out boosters.

"There is ongoing production of the vaccine, so there's not a limitation in terms of doing that," Dr. Ellison said. "There's plenty of vaccines right now for anyone in the United States who has not been vaccinated to get it, and for someone who's already been vaccinated to get a booster shot."

For now, people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not eligible to receive a booster shot. Dr. Ellison says exceptions are being made for the immunocompromised.