The Time for a Vaccine Booster is Now
It Will Protect You and Help Curtail the Virus’ Spread
Breakthrough infections are on the rise, including multi-person outbreaks among the vaccinated. These infections are very concerning. Since I am nearly 80, in good health, and have been fully vaccinated (Pfizer-BioNTech) since January 2021, I have a personal, if biased, stake in the decision to offer boosters. My vote is for a booster campaign. Here is why.
The data from Pfizer’s 40,000+ volunteer phase 3 clinical trial begun a year ago and reported to the FDA in December showed a 95% efficacy to prevent severe infection, including hospitalization and death. The vaccine was equally effective at all ages. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were beyond even the most optimistic hopes when the trial began. A home run for sure and, with an excellent safety record, more than enough for the FDA to grant emergency use authorization in mid-December 2020. The results were similar for the Moderna vaccine, which was authorized just a few weeks later. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was authorized in February 2021.
When the Pfizer data was submitted, the longest any volunteer had been vaccinated was a few months. In April 2021, Pfizer reported that antibody levels had declined among the volunteers, and efficacy then stood at…
