Covid booster shot could be needed after nine to 12 months, White House says

[Northerner]

The US is preparing for the possibility that a booster shot will be needed between nine and 12 months after people are initially vaccinated against Covid-19, a White House official said on Thursday.

While the duration of immunity after vaccination is being studied, booster vaccines could be needed, David Kessler, the chief science officer on Joe Biden’s Covid-19 response taskforce, told a congressional committee meeting.

“We are studying the durability of the antibody response. So I think for planning purposes, planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost,” Kessler said.

“The current thinking is those who are more vulnerable will have to go first,” he said.

Covid booster shot could be needed after nine to 12 months, White House says

Pfizer CEO has also said it is ‘likely’ people will need a third coronavirus vaccine dose within a year

www.theguardian.com

I've been wondering, given that the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine needs very special storage conditions, if future vaccinations are largely going to be available only at mass vaccination centres, as now. There are a lot of empty places available right now, but perhaps when the economy is up and running again there will be less available.

 

[mikeyB]

That’s “fewer” not “less”. Yorkshire education, I suppose...😉

I wouldn’t mind a booster AZ jab next year, because I’m not paranoid and I’m fully cognisant of the risks.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

That’s “fewer” not “less”.

Either's fine. (I'm very much in favour of shops using "8 items or less" and similar, if only to irritate people who think "less" is wrong in that context.)

I wouldn’t mind a booster AZ jab next year, because I’m not paranoid and I’m fully cognisant of the risks.

While the overall risk is extremely low, like some other risks it varies a lot depending on what denominator you choose. For younger women (since most of the events have happened to them) the risk isn't trivial. Still pretty low (1 in 50000 or so, I think) and now that it's been well publicised presumably everyone relevant will know what to test for and when not to use Heparin so deaths should reduce a lot. Even so, for that subgroup using another vaccine would likely make sense.

 

[mikeyB]

Either's fine. (I'm very much in favour of shops using "8 items or less" and similar, if only to irritate people who think "less" is wrong in that conte

No it isn't, and thanks for pointing out the most egregious example of illiteracy which you seem to endorse.