Moderna requests approval from the FDA for the second dosage of their COVID-19 booster vaccination for adults over 18. This comes after Pfizer requested FDA approval for a double COVID-19 booster dose for those 65 and over. According to Pfizer, a second booster reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection by a factor of two.
This finding is supported by research conducted in Israel. Furthermore, the second booster group had an incidence of severe sickness four times lower than the control group. Pfizer's CEO has said that a fourth dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine would be required. Therefore this news comes only days after that statement.
According to Albert Bourla, there will be more variations of the unique coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Hence further vaccinations will be required.
Are We Getting A Fourth Try So Soon?
After early studies demonstrated that the Omicron variation could weaken the antibodies created by the COVID-19 vaccine, Bourla told CNBC in December 2021 that a fourth dosage may be required.
After Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared in the middle of December that the second booster would be administered to adults aged 60 and up and at-risk groups, Israel became the first country to authorize a fourth dosage of COVID-19 vaccines. A second booster dose can be administered to those who qualify four months after the third dose has been given.
This includes healthcare workers and those with compromised immune systems. Since then, several other jurisdictions—including Denmark, Sweden, Chile, and the United Kingdom—have implemented similar "fourth dosage" policies.
West Virginia was one of the first states in the United States to request approval from the CDC to give a fourth dosage to residents aged 50 and over, those with preexisting illnesses, and those in critical occupations.
Unsatisfactory Fourth Shot
Preliminary results from research conducted in Israel in early 2022 indicated that a fourth dosage of the Pfizer vaccine increased antibody levels fivefold one week after vaccination. This study, however, relied on a small number of otherwise healthy participants.
Most experts believe that persons in specific susceptible categories, such as those with an organ transplant, cancer, chronic diseases, and 65 or older, are more likely to require a fourth injection than healthy individuals.
The findings of an Israeli study revealed that adding a fourth dosage did not significantly increase protection against Omicron infection; this study was submitted as a preprint on February 15 but has yet to be peer-reviewed.
Three Dosages Are Better Than Omicron
Whether or not everyone needs a fourth dosage cannot be determined with certainty since there isn't enough data. However, more and more data suggest that Omicron will require at least three dosages.
Two doses According to a preliminary study from Oxford released in December, the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine gave minimal protection against an Omicron infection, according to version "may escape the neutralizing activity of antibodies evoked by the two-dose Pfizer vaccine considerably,"
We May Not Need A Vaccine For Omicron
Pfizer claims to be developing an Omicron-specific vaccination that might be released as soon as March 2022. Meanwhile, Moderna is testing its improved version of the Omicron booster in humans in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a mouse investigation, researchers showed that a third dosage of an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination after the initial two provided no more protection than a regular booster. It was established in another research that while an Omicron-specific advocate successfully generated antibodies against infection with Omicron, it was not successful against other coronavirus types.
Vaccination With Three Doses Is The Norm Now
Schaffner emphasized that more information must be provided to make a wise choice. It's starting to look like the original vaccine series would have been a three-dose series if there hadn't been a pandemic.
He told Healthline, "There is a distinction between recognizing that scientifically and formally defining what 'full' immunization involves. According to Schaffner, various countries are more likely to adopt different policies.
Uncertain If We'll Need Annual Boosters
Like the flu vaccine, Schaffner suggested that yearly vaccinations could be necessary; however, he cautioned that this was only speculation until more evidence became available. Gandhi argued that humans might not need annual boosters if immunizations induce B cells to create antibodies.
However, companies like Moderna are working to develop a vaccine that protects against both influenza and COVID-19. Now, businesses are debating whether or not to invest in developing a vaccine against the coronavirus.
Public health and infectious disease experts are optimistic about the future. They are open to ideas like yearly vaccines or the semi-emergent launch of a new booster to deal with new varieties.
