Nothing lasts forever — not even the benefits of the amazingly effective vaccines that have saved millions of lives during the pandemic. Data disclosed Wednesday suggests that robust protection the vaccines provided against infection at the outset is starting to wane, although they still work well against hospitalization and death. The Biden administration plan for booster shots should be seen as a necessary tune-up with the same goal as the first shots: survival and resilience. Two studies published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the efficacy of the mRNA vaccines was declining just as the delta variant was spreading in the United States. One study, based on databases of New Yorkers from May 3 to July 25, found vaccine efficacy against infection fell from 91.7 percent to 79.8 percent. In a second report, looking at nursing home residents nationwide from March 1 to Aug. 1, vaccine efficacy against infection dropped from 74.7 percent to 53.1 percent. These findings are consistent with recent results from Israel. Still, the vaccines remain potent. In New York, new infections among the fully vaccinated remained rare, with 9,675 infected out of 10.1 million people. The rate of new infections over the period was eight times higher among the unvaccinated. A third study from the CDC confirmed that vaccines are still shielding against hospitalization and death. Why are they weakening against infection? The body’s immune system, trained by the vaccines to spot the virus, may not sustain the same vigilance over time. Also, the delta variant became predominant in the United States in mid-June, and its higher viral loads as well as greater transmissibility could be a factor. The administration’s announcement Wednesday of boosters starting in September is a laudable attempt to get ahead of the curve, even if the precise reasons and pace of waning immunity are not yet fully understood. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that a booster could result in a “dramatic” tenfold increase in antibodies against the virus. The administration promises to distribute 100 million booster doses at 80,000 sites. It will be a welcome bonus if logistics are smoother than last time. Vaccine distribution around the globe has been terribly lopsided. Poorer nations are starved for vaccines, while wealthy ones are awash. But we disagree with those who see this as an either-or decision. Boosters in the United States and more vaccines for the world are both possible. The United States has pledged to export hundreds of millions of doses to other countries, and has begun doing so. The world needs 11 billion doses. President Biden has backed a waiver of patent protections for the coronavirus vaccine shots to encourage production, but so far little progress has been made in World Trade Organization negotiations toward that end.
All data is taken from the source: http://washingtonpost.com
Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/18/covid-19-boosters-have-same-goals-first-shots-survival-resilience/
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