It’s true you’ve already had to get two shots. Why the heck do you need a third? New data shows that a third shot can boost immune response even further than the initial two.
It’s easy to say, “well, I’ve already had both shots, and I’m protected,” but remembering that this is all a bit of an experiment is essential.
Although the ingredients are safe and the vaccine is effective, creators still weren’t sure how efficacy would wane over time or how many new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus would appear.
The past few weeks have shown that vaccine efficacy can wane, although it is still highly likely to prevent severe outcomes from COVID-19 like hospitalization and death. A third dose might be better at preventing infection and community spread.
New data is showing just how powerful a booster might be.
Researchers looked at blood samples from 33 healthy, fully vaccinated young adults around the Chicago area, with a median age of 43.
Nine months after they had two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, their virus-neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 had gone down about 10-fold. After a booster, they went up 25-fold, which is five times higher than the two-dose cycle.
It should be noted that these findings are yet to be peer-reviewed and are considered preliminary.
Immunity clearly wanes over. As mentioned, the outcomes are not typically as severe as in unvaccinated individuals.
It appears a COVID-19 booster shot can enhance immunity and do an even better job of protecting you and your family. You’re already more than halfway there, anyways.