Vaccine Protection May Diminish Need for Yearly Boosters

Scientists have found clues that the world's leading COVID-19 vaccines offer lasting protection that could reduce the need for frequent booster shots, as reported in U.S. News & World Report.

Critical studies are underway, and evidence is mounting that immunity from the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna does not depend exclusively on antibodies that dwindle over time.

Pfizer and Moderna have fueled booster questions by estimating that people might need yearly shots, just like with influenza vaccinations, and the companies are working to have some candidates ready this fall.

However, Paul Offit, a vaccine specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who advises the FDA, remarked "I would be surprised if we actually needed a yearly booster shot."

Scientists point to ways the immune system remembers the coronavirus so that once original antibodies fade, the body's defenses can swing back into action if a person is exposed again.

"I'm pretty optimistic," said University of Pennsylvania immunologist John Wherry, adding "I wouldn't rule out the need for boosters, but the immune response so far looks actually quite impressive."