The co-founder of Moderna appeared on Fox News last week to speak about booster shots, saying that the vaccinated “may well need an annual booster, potentially varying on a year-to-year or every-few-years basis as the virus varies, similarly to what we do with the flu vaccine.”
That yearly boosters may be needed for the most vulnerable isn’t proof that vaccines don’t work or that we should live in fear of COVID-19. It’s a reminder that taking precautions is good, and tools are available, but a world without COVID-19 will probably not happen.
Such a statement from Moderna might energize the most extreme observers on both the pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine sides, but it shouldn’t. There is a real tendency by some to treat COVID-19 as either the worst health crisis known to man or not much more than a cold. But considering the year that has been and what the future is likely to hold, both reactions miss the mark.
COVID-19 is not the flu, but it still has a relatively high survival rate of at or greater than 98.2%, depending on the actual number of infections, which is sure to be higher than what has been reported. Still, it’s a good comparison. The flu is an annual pest that barely touches or completely misses many. Others who get a strain may have a much more difficult time. Still others may die from it.
The yearly, widely distributed flu vaccines are a helpful weapon. After someone receives the shot, they may get the flu, but the likelihood of a severe case that requires hospitalization or results in death is highly unlikely. Unsurprisingly, the same goes for the COVID-19 vaccine. Is it possible to pass the virus or get it yourself after getting the vaccine? Of course. But it greatly reduces risk. And that makes it worth it.
It is an unrealistic goal to accept only zero COVID-19 cases before we collectively return to normal. Given the nature of the virus, zero cases is an impossibility, especially at this point. Instead of aiming for a life without COVID-19, the real goal should be a dramatic, sustained reduction in infections and deaths.
What does seem certain is the reliance on first-time vaccinations, and possibly booster shots, to curb new or repeat outbreaks. Boosters are neither proof that vaccines are unreliable nor confirmation that the virus is an impossible foe. An annual booster is a reminder that we can and must live with a very real and devastating virus. Life must go on and can’t be contained by fear-driven rules and regulations. At the same time, people should note the need to keep the most vulnerable protected, whether that’s themselves or others. Vaccines have helped. Boosters can and will, too.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
