A fourth dose may be needed to protect against severe illness among certain groups, such as older adults, though it's still too early to tell, scientists say.
Research shows that the protection from the first two doses of either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccineagainst the omicron variant, though a booster shot restored much of that protection. But the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna have argued in recent weeks that a fourth dose may now be needed to protect against serious illness from omicron.
It's possible that additional doses will be needed for certain groups, such as older adults, in the future, though it's still too early to tell, said Dr. Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University."Covid is likely here to stay. We're going to continue to have infections every year, just like we have common cold infections every year," she said."What should be driving indication for repeated vaccinations is the severity of the disease.
The FDA's vaccine panel of outside experts, known as the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, is scheduled to meet in the first week of April to discuss booster shots, people familiar with the agency's plan said. Moderna's submission for a second booster using the same formula comes just weeks after its chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Burton, told NBC News that an updated Covid vaccine would be needed in the fall, one that’s “tuned to the right combination of variants.”