Politics

Top FDA, WHO scientists call COVID-19 booster shot unnecessary for most at this time

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A group of international scientists is cautioning against administering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots before it’s absolutely necessary, in part because if people have adverse reactions, it could fuel vaccine hesitancy.

The United States and other countries have announced plans to administer booster doses for high-risk individuals, bucking calls from the World Health Organization to prioritize vaccinating lower-income countries over boosters.

The additional shots are intended to help extend protection against COVID-19, but two top vaccine regulators at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believe more lives could be saved if vaccine supply is used to inoculate unvaccinated populations, instead.

“Although the benefits of primary COVID-19 vaccination clearly outweigh the risks, there could be risks if boosters are widely introduced too soon, or too frequently,” a group of 18 scientists wrote in a paper published in The Lancet on Monday.

The scientists note that there is an opportunity right now to study variant-based boosters before there could be a widespread need for them. But they also argue in their paper that the current Covid-19 vaccine supply could “save more lives” if used in people who are not yet vaccinated than if used as boosters. In early August, the World Health Organization called for a moratorium on booster shots until at least the end of September.

“To date, none of these studies has provided credible evidence of substantially declining protection against severe disease, even when there appear to be declines over time in vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease,” the scientists write in their paper.

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: LIVE MINT

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Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

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