Doctors Explain The Risks If You Miss Your Second Vaccine Appointment

Picture it: You get your first dose of the COVID vaccine, have your appointment for the second dose lined up a few weeks later, and then — something happens. Maybe you have to travel for an emergency, or there's a vaccine production shortage, or the pharmacy's fridge breaks. What could happen if you delay or miss that second shot of COVID vaccine?

"There are a number of potential risks to delaying or missing the second dose of any vaccine, including the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines," Dr. Bob Bollinger M.D., a professor of infections diseases at Johns Hopkins University and founding member of emocha health, a telehealth service, tells Bustle. You could be less protected against COVID, for a shorter period, or it could also give the virus time and space to mutate.