Booster Shots May Not Provide Optimum Protection After Four Months!

Researchers and scientists from all over the world are still struggling to discover new medications, treatment strategies, and vaccines to fight against the coronavirus and its variants. They are still stressing the importance of implementing preventive measures in place before.

Booster Shots May Not Provide Optimum Protection After Four Months!

Getting vaccinated is the most powerful tool to fight against coronavirus and its many variants. These vaccines have been time and again proved to be effective against the severe complications of the disease, like hospitalization and even deaths. They also help in curtailing the spread of the disease.

Two vaccine doses and an additional booster dose to eligible citizens are mandatory to get maximum protection from viruses and infections. Booster shots are safe and reliable and are recommended for everyone above 12 years. While vaccines were developed as a protection against the former strains, these vaccines are still effective against the newer and modern strains, including omicron.

Recent data also shows that unvaccinated and unboosted individuals are amongst the majority of people ending up in hospitals. While there is enough data to suggest the efficacy of these vaccines and booster doses, many people are still reluctant to take them, owing to many reasons.

One-third of the population above the age of 65 years have received primary vaccines but are yet to receive their booster doses.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Vermont have the highest vaccination rates, while Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi have the lowest vaccination rates.

The primary vaccination series of 2 doses did not effectively control the omicron but the booster dose was. Booster shots were found to be 90% effective in preventing hospitalization with omicron infections.

However, centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows booster shots lose much of their effectiveness after about 4 months.

However, they still effectively prevent severe outcomes and hospitalization, especially with the omicron surge, as omicron remains the most dominant strain of coronavirus and the maximum number of cases in recent months have been attributed to the omicron.

Booster shots have high efficacy against moderate-to-severe Covid-19 for about 2 months, but their efficacy starts waning after this, more after 4 months, though there is no actual data to prove this. The waning of efficacy is also not proved in immunocompromised or aged individuals.

The waning of immunity is due to an increase in anti-spike IgG titers after booster dosing.  

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser on the pandemic response, says a fourth dose booster may be necessary for total protection, depending on the underlying medical conditions and the individual’s age.

While scientists hope a new variant of coronavirus evolves and a new wave, getting an additional booster shot may be ideal. However, there are many opinions regarding the same.

Some healthcare officials think that an annual vaccine shot may be of great benefit instead of taking booster doses every 4 months or so.

There remains a debate on whether additional booster doses may be necessary for the optimum protection against coronavirus and its rapidly evolving variants. It may be soon to comment on this.

Getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible remains the primary tool to fight these infections and prevent their transmission. Though data shows waning efficacy of booster doses after 4 months or so, they are still effective in preventing the severe outcomes of the infection, including hospitalizations and even death.

Though the number of active infections is decreasing daily, preventive measures like maintaining social distancing, avoiding crowded places and unnecessary travel, and wearing proper-fitting masks need to be followed diligently by the people as the infection has still not gone from the world.