Is another COVID booster shot necessary?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - New data is giving the strongest indication yet that we might all need a fourth COVID shot.

Researchers are finding that even booster shots lose some of their effectiveness after about four months.

Dr. Wes Stubblefield with ADPH said it’s unclear when, or if, a fourth COVID shot will be recommended for everyone.

Right now, immunocompromised people are getting three shots as part of their initial vaccine series with their fourth dose being the booster.

Researchers tracked the effectiveness of the vaccines and boosters in people who visited emergency rooms and urgent care centers. The findings confirm other studies that show effectiveness was higher after the third dose compared to the second but waned with time.

Vaccine effectiveness remained above 70% even after four months.

But some are wondering when we’ll have to roll up our sleeves again.

“There are a lot of people that have asked that question, and a lot of researchers are putting effort into that about whether or not we would need an additional booster of the existing vaccine, a more variant-specific booster moving forward, or whether or not we focus our energy on a more wide, broad spectrum COVID vaccine, but I think those questions are still out there,” Dr. Stubblefield said.

Dr. Stubblefield said breakthrough cases of COVID are a consequence of waning immunity.

But he said the likelihood of you having severe COVID disease is extremely low if you’ve completed a vaccine series and received your booster shot.

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