COVID-19 vaccines are saving an untold number of lives, but they can’t stop the chaos when a hugely contagious new mutant bursts on the scene, leading people to wonder: Will we need boosters every few months? From the Associated Press.
That’s far from settled, but with the shots still doing their main job many experts are cautioning against setting too high a bar.
If the goal is preventing serious illness, “we may not need to be doing as much fine-tuning of the vaccines every time a new variant comes.” One problem: Mutations change the appearance of the spike protein that covers the coronavirus much like a crook switches disguises to evade capture. That’s why omicron was more able to slip past that first defense than earlier variants — its spike coating was harder for existing antibodies to recognize.
Researchers are closely tracking if infection-fighting antibodies stick around longer after a third dose -- but at some point, those levels are guaranteed to wane again. So-called memory cells can make more the next time the body senses they’re needed. Endless boosting just to keep antibody levels constantly high is “not a public health strategy that works,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
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