Another COVID vaccine? Yes, and here's why [View all]

[brooklynite]

Seattle Times

This fall, prepare for the latest round of COVID vaccine Whac-a-Mole. Like the old arcade game, no matter how many shots we get, the enemy always pops back up.

But here’s why the new shot, recommended by FDA advisers last week, makes sense: It targets a new version of the virus, the FDA panel said. It bolsters your body’s ever-growing defense system. And it’s a lot better than getting very sick or hospitalized.

Last year’s shot isn’t holding up. Protection against both infection and severe illness is waning.

“Effectiveness has decreased, as the time since vaccination has increased — and as new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge,” said biostatistician Danyu Lin of the University of North Carolina School of Global Public Health, who presented worrisome new data to the FDA advisory panel.