Expert: Efficacy of COVID-19 Boosters Against Variants of Concern Is Unknown

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Amesh Adalja, MD, FIDSA, FACP, FACEP, said that the efficacy of COVID-19 booster vaccines against variants of concern is still relatively unknown, although administering the third shots does increase antibodies as expected. Adalja said that leaked reports suggest the Biden administration is planning to recommend booster vaccines for adults 8 months after their second dose, and that recommendation could come in the next few days.

Although booster shots could be a necessary step forward in the pandemic, Adalja said he believes it is more important to vaccinate those who are still unvaccinated, rather than focusing all attention on boosting the immune systems of vaccinated individuals. He noted that the vast majority of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 are unvaccinated, demonstrating that even just 2 doses of the vaccines are proving effective.