Some Scientists Question Need for Yearly COVID-19 Booster Shots

Some scientists say there is growing evidence that yearly booster shots may not be needed to protect people against COVID-19.

Vaccine¹ developers have been advising that the world will need yearly booster injections to remain protected. Vaccine producers have also suggested that new vaccines² might be necessary to fight new virus versions, also called variants⁴.

But these suggestions were disputed by more than 12 influential⁵ disease and vaccine development experts who recently spoke⁶ to Reuters news agency reporters.

Some of the scientists expressed concern that public expectations around COVID-19 boosters are being set by drug company executives rather than health specialists. Still, many agreed that preparing for such a need as a precaution was reasonable.

The scientists fear that a push by wealthy nations for repeat vaccination⁷ as early as this year will deepen the divide with poorer countries that are struggling to buy vaccines. In some nations, it may take years to vaccinate⁸ their citizens even once.

"We don't see the data yet that would inform a decision about whether or not booster doses are needed," said Kate O'Brien. She is director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO).

O'Brien said the WHO is forming a group of experts to examine available data on virus variants and the effectiveness of vaccines before issuing advice on future vaccination programs.

The chief of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, has said people will "likely" need a yearly booster of the company's vaccine to keep high levels of immunity⁹ against COVID-19 and its variants. Such a booster would be similar to yearly shots many people are urged to get to protect themselves against influenza¹⁰ infection.

Dr. Tom Frieden is the former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He disagrees with that idea. "There is zero, and I mean zero, evidence to suggest that that is the case," he told Reuters.

"It's completely inappropriate to say that we're likely to need a (yearly) booster, because we have no idea what the likelihood of that is," Frieden added. Frieden is now head of the international public health campaign Resolve to Save Lives.

Pfizer reacted to the criticism by saying it expects a need for boosters while the virus is still spreading widely. That need could lessen¹¹ when the pandemic is more fully¹² controlled, a company spokeswoman said.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said his company aims to produce a vaccine by the autumn that targets a variant³ first identified in South Africa. He said he expects repeat boosters will be needed.

The United States is preparing to have booster doses available for Americans. The European Union, Britain and Israel have ordered new supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to deploy¹³ as protective boosters.

Some health experts say vaccine makers¹⁴ are right to plan for boosters since no one knows what will be needed in the future.

Richard Hatchett is the chief executive of the Coalition¹⁵ for Epidemic¹⁶ Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has financed many vaccine projects. He told Reuters that if the vaccine producers have the doses on hand, governments can then decide for themselves whether to buy the products.

Words in This Story

booster – n. a small amount of a substance given to increase the effect of the same substance given sometime before, to continue to protect a person from getting sick

precaution – n. an action that is done to prevent something unpleasant or dangerous from happening

dose – n. the amount of medication to be taken at one time

immunity – n. the power to keep yourself from being affected¹⁷ by a disease

inappropriate – adj. not suitable

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

3 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

4 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

5 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

8 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

9 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

10 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

11 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

14 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

16 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

17 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。