PHOENIX — As of Monday, 50% of Arizonans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, Pfizer, one of the manufacturers of the vaccine said last week a third dose, a booster shot, might be necessary up to a year after someone is fully vaccinated.
CDC and FDA: No booster needed
In response to Pfizer stating a booster may be needed to aid vaccine efficacy, the CDC and FDA released a joint statement stating a booster shot isn’t needed right now.
The statement reads in part:
“Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time. FDA, CDC, and NIH are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary. This process takes into account laboratory data, clinical trial data, and cohort data – which can include data from specific pharmaceutical companies, but does not rely on those data exclusively.”
Pfizer was set to meet with federal health officials Monday about the matter.
Booster not needed for some time
Dr. Janko Nikolich-Žugich, MD, Ph.D. and UArizona Department Head and Professor Immunobiology agrees that a COVID-19 vaccine booster is not needed right now.
“You got a strong vaccine, strong immune responses, likely to last a long time,” Nikolich said.
Nikolich added while some variants are evading some immunity, the vaccines are overwhelmingly effective against the variants.
Nikolich talked about T cells specifically and said they are the most important piece of fighting the virus in the early stages of being infected with COVID because they are deployed faster.
"These vaccines are really good at generating great T cell immunity," Nikolich said. "And even more importantly the variants that we have encountered so far don't really seem to be knocking down or evading T cell immunity so far."
Nikolich referenced past vaccines like smallpox and yellow fever that hold onto immunity, adding that the COVID-19 vaccines will likely be similar.
“There could be in a small fraction of people there will be a decline that would mandate another boost,” Nikolich said. “But that will not be this year for most people.”
Booster could aid immunocompromised
Nikolich and his colleagues at UArizona have and are studying vaccine efficacy, among other topics related to COVID-19 and the vaccine.
He said those who are immunocompromised may benefit from a third shot that targets the variants.
Nikolich said it’s because they’ve seen people who are immunocompromised may not generate much of an antibody response.
“There’s a blip of a T cell response and when they get another shot that blip becomes a lot larger,” Nikolich said. “That would be the population where it would be very well warranted to go with a third shot.”
COVID-19 Vaccine
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