GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Friday morning, the FDA officially authorized booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for all adults ages 18 and up.

Hours later, CDC advisers voted to make the same recommendation.

Those endorsements secured, local doctors like Dr. Brian Temple, an Infectious Disease Physician with Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh, are urging all who are eligible to get fully vaccinated.

“My push is for those that are not vaccinated to please get vaccinated,” Dr. Temple said, “and those who are now eligible to get the booster to go ahead and get the booster since we received this okay from the FDA this morning.”

According to Dr. Temple, getting the booster now could help prevent a serious infection of the coronavirus.

“You do still have some protection from your previous vaccine,” he said, “but when the booster does kick in, it increases your overall antibodies, so it decreases the chance of progressing and ending up in the hospital.”

It’s a part of an ever-adapting plan for an ever-adapting virus.

“No one can predict if we’re going to require a yearly booster, and every six months booster,” Dr. Temple said.

The doctor says it’s too early to look that far down the line, but for now, “They’ve noted that after six months or so, the overall protection does decrease, as you can see people who’ve already been vaccinated have presented with COVID.”

Dr. Temple says now is a great time to get the vaccine, ahead of family gatherings this holiday season.

“It’s like adding an extra layer of protection in the winter,” he said. “It does help. You’re also preparing yourself so by Christmas, you should be ready, and New Years you should definitely be ready.”

He also recommends getting the flu shot.

“I would recommend that everyone who’s eligible please go ahead and get the flu shot,” Dr. Temple said. “The covid vaccine does not protect you from flu.”

According to the doctor, it’s another way to protect yourself and the people around you.

“All we want to do is just go ahead, protect each other, so we can get back to some sort of normalcy,” he said.