The head of the United Kingdom’s vaccine oversight body said regular boosters are unsustainable and need more research.
Andrew Pollard, chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, said the U.K. should not yet follow Israel and Germany in giving out booster coronavirus vaccines to everyone over 60.
“We know that people have strong antibodies for a few months after their third vaccination, but more data is needed to assess whether, when, and how often those who are vulnerable will need additional doses,” Pollard said. “We can’t vaccinate the planet every four to six months. It’s not sustainable or affordable. In the future, we need to target the vulnerable.”
Despite rising cases due to the omicron variant and the winter surge, Pollard said he thinks “the worst is absolutely behind us. We just need to get through the winter.”
FDA AUTHORIZES PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID VACCINE BOOSTER FOR CHILDREN 12-15
He also said more lockdowns are not advisable, though that decision is made by politicians and not scientists.
“At some point, society has to open up,” Pollard said. “When we do open, there will be a period with a bump in infections, which is why winter is probably not the best time. But that’s a decision for the policymakers, not the scientists. Our approach has to switch to rely on the vaccines and the boosters. The greatest risk is still the unvaccinated.”
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Israel started issuing fourth doses of the Pfizer vaccine to medical workers and anyone over the age of 60 last week, with Germany following similarly. In the United States, top infectious disease adviser Anthony Fauci said it’s “premature” to require a second booster.
