Data shows Covid booster shots are ‘not appropriate’ at this time, U.S. and international scientists conclude

An expert review of scientific evidence to date has concluded that Covid-19 vaccine booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public, a group of leading U.S. and international scientists said Monday in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet.

While Covid vaccine effectiveness against mild disease may wane over time, protection against severe disease may persist, the scientists said.

"Current evidence does not appear to show a need for boosting in the general population, in which efficacy against severe disease remains high," the scientists wrote, adding the wide distribution of boosters is "Not appropriate at this stage in the pandemic."

"If unnecessary boosting causes significant adverse reactions, there could be implications for vaccine acceptance that go beyond COVID-19 vaccines," they wrote.

The comments come a week before the Biden administration says it plans to begin offering Covid vaccine booster shots to the general public.

The administration's plan, outlined by senior health officials, calls for a third dose eight months after people get their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

The scientists said boosting could be appropriate for some individuals, such as those with weakened immune systems, who don't produce an adequate immune response after receiving two doses of a vaccine.
 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/covid-booster-shots-data-shows-third-shots-not-appropriate-at-this-time-scientists-conclude.html