Fourth COVID-19 Shot? See Why Medical Professionals Are Skeptical

  • Medical professionals are undecided on whether a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine would benefit the wider population, as countries are beginning to offer the fourth dose to vulnerable groups.
  • The decisions follow an Israel study that found that a fourth dose of the Pfizer Inc PFEBioNTech SE BNTX vaccine offers short-lived protection against serious illness.
  • The medical consensus so far is that there hasn’t been enough research on how much protection a fourth dose can offer.
  • Related: FDA Authorizes Fourth Dose Of Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines For Older People.
  • The World Health Organization hasn’t given an official recommendation on a fourth dose, and “there isn’t any good evidence at this point of time” that it will be beneficial, said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan.
  • Questions are being raised over the need for more booster shots as the emergence of more Covid variants may require more targeted vaccines.
  • In January, Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, told NBC News that people may need to get booster shots every year or two.
  • It is possible that high-risk groups — such as the elderly — may need an annual vaccine, said Swaminathan. But “it’s not clear whether a healthy adult will need a regular annual shot.”
  • Photo by hakan german from Pixabay
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