Fauci: ‘Inevitably’ We Will Have to Give Booster Shots

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday on NBC’s “Today” that eventually that coronavirus vaccine booster shots will be recommended for everyone.

Co-host Craig Melvin said, “So there’s this expectation that folks who are immunocompromised will have to get booster shots. Pfizer has already said that folks who got their shot need to get a booster to help protect against the Delta variant that’s ravaging the nation. Is it enviable, Dr. Fauci, that at some point in the not too distant future, everyone will need a booster shot?”

Fauci said, “The important thing to point out is the difference between the immunocompromised who really never got a good response to begin with. So for them, it’s more of getting them up to what they hopefully had gotten the first time around, but we know because of their immune compromise, they don’t. That’s different than the durability of response, which means taking a person, be it an elderly healthy person or a not elderly, a young, healthy person, and just continue to very, very carefully follow them. If the level of their protection goes below a certain level, to then be ready and have a plan ready to go to get them their boost.”

He added, “In answer to your question, no vaccine, at least not within this category, is going to have an indefinite amount of protection. So in answer to your question, it’s right inevitably, there will be a time when we’ll have to give boosts. What we’re doing literally on a weekly and monthly basis is following cohorts of patients to determine if, when, and whom should get it. But right now, at this moment, other than the immune-compromised, we won’t be giving boosters to people. But we’ll follow them, and if they do need it, we’ll give it to them.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN