With the push for eligible Americans to get COVID-19 booster shots amid the omicron surge, many people are wondering if one booster will be enough to protect against the coronavirus?
Right now, there is no clear consensus among health experts on whether additional doses will increase antibodies significantly. And there is even less information about the long-term safety of additional boosters.
Israel became the first nation to roll out fourth doses of the mRNA vaccines late last month. Adults age 60 and older, medical workers and people with suppressed immune systems can get a fourth dose.
However, some public health officials, internationally and in the U.S., say the talk of fourth doses is premature considering so many people across the world have not even received an initial vaccination.
Andrew Pollard, chairman of the United Kingdom’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, has warned that more booster rollouts could take away resources from populations who have no protection against the coronavirus at all.
“We can’t vaccinate the planet every four to six months,” he told the Telegraph. “It’s not sustainable or affordable. In the future, we need to target the vulnerable.”
