As people around the world continue to get infected with the Omicron variant (PA5) of the coronavirus, five vaccine experts in the US warned against not getting the next generation of vaccine expected to be released in October.
Specialists stressed that those who are likely to develop severe symptoms of COVID-19 should line up for their second booster shots as soon as the vaccine is made available to avoid reinfection and hospitalization.
Even though scientists have yet to confirm which strain of the virus is most likely to be transmissible next season, new vaccines will be released in Europe and the US, especially the one that could potentially target the PA1, PA4, and PA5 variants.
Pfizer, including partners Piontech and Moderna, were petitioned to develop booster doses for PA4 and PA5 Omicron variants and will be available in October. On the other hand, European regulatory boards after witnessing last winter’s record-breaking number of infected people are also expected to administer the most effective booster vaccines to target the PA1 strain.
As people’s immunity drops while the number of infected increases, experts guarantee the efficacy of the vaccines currently available. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately 30 percent of people aged 50 or older are eligible for the fourth dose, and less than 10 percent of the public aged 50 to 64 have already received their shots. Vaccines have yet to be approved for those younger than 50 and do not exhibit risk factors.