Tuesday, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci sounded off on booster shots for the coronavirus amid the uptick in cases as a result of the Delta variant.
Fauci touted booster shots, saying a third one would do “very, very well” against the original virus and variants. He went on to add it isn’t likely people will have to continue to get shots down the road to fight off the coronavirus.
“[W]e have found that the antibodies that are induced by a booster that was triggered by a vaccine against the original virus does very, very well when you look at the antibodies and how they react against the Delta and other variants,” Fauci explained. “So, we may not have to get a variant-specific boost. We’re preparing for it. We’re doing clinical trials with it. But the data that we’ve seen right now indicate that we may be able to get a good response … that covers the variants … by the original vaccine that we got. I don’t think we’re going to be having to boost people indefinitely.”
He continued, “I believe it’s entirely conceivable that this third dose superimposed upon the two doses of Moderna and Pfizer very well may allow for a rather prolonged period of protection. We don’t know that right now, but if you look at some of the vaccines that we have against other infections that require multiple shots, including, for example, a third boost, such as what we do with hepatitis B, we very well may see a situation where the response goes way up and stays up for a long period of time. That’s what we’re hoping for rather than the concern about having to boost continuously. I don’t think it’s going to be the latter. I think it’s going to be the former.”
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