From GoodRx - Will We Need a Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose?

[RKP5637]

https://www.goodrx.com/blog/yes-we-might-need-a-third-covid-shot/

Almost 50% of people in the United States have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And yet, there has been quite a lot of talk around needing a possible booster shot within the next year. While both Pfizer and Moderna have already started studying a third dose of their vaccines as part of ongoing clinical trials, the CDC and FDA indicated that fully vaccinated individuals don’t require a booster right now. Here we’ll cover the ongoing debate around the possible need for a COVID-19 booster shot and how this information might impact you.

Why would we need a COVID-19 booster shot?

As the coronavirus spreads, it can change and create new variants that are more contagious or more deadly. These variants can also be less responsive to the antibodies we’ve developed from our initial vaccine doses. This means that we may need a booster shot in the future to make sure that we’re sufficiently protected. But right now, the FDA suggests that people who are fully vaccinated have enough protection against the virus. This also includes variants, like the Delta variant! Anyone who has not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine is encouraged to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

The good news is, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe illness and death. Not only that, but if boosters are required, the vaccines can also be easily updated to cover new variants. This is because of the technology that was used to make them, called mRNA. Plus, the FDA review process for potential boosters will likely look similar to that of seasonal flu vaccines, where the companies don’t need to conduct a large clinical trial each time.

As of now, scientists are following a strict process to determine whether a booster shot might be needed. This includes examining clinical trial data, laboratory data, and beyond.

[bamagal62]

1. And, of course, it's like us J&J people don't exist.

We get one sentence in the whole article.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I likewise find it annoying that the J&J one is almost never mentioned.

Maybe it's simply so good that we won't need a booster.

More to the point, all this talk about needing a booster is premature. I wish that debate would go away, because it's making people freak out that they need one now.

[zuul]

4. Yep.

[bobnicewander]

3. Perhaps

in 6 months (mid January) - after schools and classes at all levels have reopened, the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holiday celebrations have come and gone, the CDC will have a definitive answer.