- An expert review of scientific evidence has concluded that Covid vaccine booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public, a group of leading U.S. and international scientists said Monday.
- The conclusion in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet comes a week before the Biden administration says it plans to begin offering the shots to the general public.
- An FDA advisory group is meeting Friday to discuss the data to support the wide use of boosters.
An expert review of scientific evidence to date has concluded that Covid-19 vaccine booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public, a group of leading U.S. and international scientists said Monday in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet.
The conclusion by scientists, including two senior Food and Drug Administration officials and the World Health Organization, came as studies continue to show the authorized Covid vaccines in the U.S. remain highly effective against severe disease and hospitalization caused by the fast-spreading delta variant.
While Covid vaccine effectiveness against mild disease may wane over time, protection against severe disease may persist, the scientists said. That’s because the body’s immune system is complex, they said, and has other defenses besides antibodies that may protect someone from getting seriously sick.