COVID vaccine questions; Milwaukee County's top doctor offers answers

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County's top doctor was an open book on Tuesday, Sept. 13 – answering questions about COVID-19 and the new vaccine booster that targets the latest variants. 

Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County's Chief Health Policy Advisor, fielded questions from the public (including students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and FOX6 News viewers) on Tuesday – including how often people should get boosted, and what people should know about the side effects? 

Weston sails when it comes to the boosters, side effects are similar to past vaccines – a sore arm, body aches, chills, and low-grade fever. 

"Look, this updated booster is the same technology, it’s same mechanism as the original vaccine and boosters that we seen in the past," Weston said.

The doctor suggested getting the newest booster that fights against the omicron variant – especially with fall and winter ahead. 

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"I’m hopeful we start to get on a more regular predictable cadence, it’s not unlikely that cadence is annual, but likely a once a year sort of booster that we can all get to keep us all protected," Weston said. 

Dr. Ben Weston

College students told FOX6 News the COVID booster is on their mind. 

"For sure, classes can be with hundreds of people and so COVID is still going on it’s like any other disease it’s going to keep happening," said Madison Pecha, student.

"We are risk-takers, if we have to take a risk to find out the better situation, why not," said Atana Ekpenyong, student.

"They interact with teachers and their educators, each person they interact with is taking an amount of risk being with them," Dr. Weston said.

The doctor said Milwaukee County is seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases. He said the county remains in medium CDC COVID-19 level. But he believes by next week, the county could be in low level.