With the rising number of COVID-19 cases and the approaching new school year, many people in the United States are wondering when they should get their next booster shot. The short answer, according to experts, is not yet. You’ll be much better if you wait another month or two.
In June, an advisory group to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that the next formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine target the omicron XBB.1.5 variant.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are working to update, test, and mass-produce their vaccines, which will then need to be officially licensed by the FDA. Experts estimate that the vaccines will be available to the public in late September or early October.
“It seems to me that for most people, waiting makes more sense right now,” said Paul Sax, clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
There are two main reasons to wait for the updated vaccine. First of all, it will be more suitable for the variants that are currently in circulation.
Now most of the coronavirus variants that infect people are descended from or related to XBB.1.5, so the decision to vaccinate against that variant “was the best thing that could be imagined at the moment,” he said. Trevor Bedford, a professor in the Division of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
The vaccine will most likely also provide some protection against EG.5, which has recently become the dominant variant in the United States, accounting for about 17 percent of current cases. EG.5 is descended from another XBB variant and has some additional mutations, so the antibodies produced by the updated vaccine may not be as effective against it. But the new booster is still more suited to the EG.5 than last year’s booster, which focused on both the original covid variant and the BA.5 omicron, variants that appear to no longer be streaming.
David Boulware, a professor of medicine specializing in infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said that because the new vaccine works better with current variants, he feels “a little optimistic” that it might not It will not only help prevent serious complications, but also infection.
“When it is reinforced with the variant most similar to the one that is circulating,” it is most likely that some protection against contagion will be recovered, he assured.
The second reason to wait a month or two for the new vaccine is that it will increase the chances that your defenses against the virus will be strongest when cases are expected to peak, which has historically been between December and February. Antibodies decline over time, and protection is greatest during the first three months after infection or vaccination.
“The number of cases is increasing now, but it is not at exceptionally high levels,” Sax noted. “However, I can’t imagine they won’t go up again in November, December or January, as they have in the last three years.”
If you have recently had covid, experts suggest waiting a few more months before receiving the new vaccine. Your antibodies are already elevated due to the infection, so the vaccine won’t provide you with much additional benefit during that time.
In case you need a little more motivation to get that new booster shot, vaccination is the only proven way to shorten a case of COVID-19, Boulware explained. In a study published last yearit was revealed that people who contracted covid in the six months following vaccination “presented a less severe disease and a shorter duration of contagion.”
If you’re worried about contracting covid in the meantime, put the protections in place throughout the pandemic: avoid large crowds; wear a high-quality, well-fitting N95, KN95 or KF94 mask when in indoor public places, and keep rooms well ventilated – even opening a window can help.
Dana G. Smith She is a journalist for the Well section, where she has written about everything from psychedelic therapy to fitness trends and COVID-19. More about Dana G. Smith
2023-08-13 09:00:20
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