Will we need new shots because of the omicron variant or any other future strains? Here's what we know right now.
The vaccines are polyclonal, which means they’re able to attack the virus from multiple angles and are well-equipped to handle mutations.a third dose of the original shot quickly boosts neutralizing antibody levels and greatly strengthening protection against symptomatic infection, even from variants like delta.
Chise, who has gained popularity on Twitter by sharing vaccine research and insights, said a booster dose of the original vaccine has been , just as any variant-specific shot might have been. Furthermore, two doses continue to provide great protection against severe disease.- Catherine Blish, professor at Stanford University School of MedicineThe good news is that it’s easy to quickly create a new mRNA vaccine — but you still have to conduct the safety and efficacy testing, which would take a few months at a minimum. “We’re in a good position to respond and really, the question is: Is a new variant going to arise that has that capacity to really escape from our vaccine-mediated immunity?” Blish said.whether a new version of their shots is needed in light of omicron, and both companies have said one could be available next year if scientists determine it’s necessary. Overall, it’s too soon to tell what’s going to happen. Omicron has several mutations, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll need tailored vaccines. Existing vaccines should still help — especially with a booster, and especially when it comes to preventing severe outcomes — but we should have concrete data on that in a month or two.Furthermore, scientists may decide that a vaccine specifically targeting a new variant might not make sense. All of the variants out there right now evolved from the original strain — which matters when it comes to the type of shot we’re using. If, for example, we had started using a beta-specific vaccine when delta took over earlier this year, we may have ended up in an even messier spot. The original vaccine, being polyclonal, has broader coverage than a variant-specific shot would, and has likely saved a lot of people.The reality is that we’ll be living with COVID for a long time. Some experts believe we’ll move from a, meaning we may have to get a COVID vaccine every year or so. What that specific shot may look like two, five or 10 years down the line is unknown right now. Chise guesses that scientists probably won’t be releasing tweaked shots targeting new variants anytime soon, but will most likely focus on improving the vaccines we already have . “The original vaccines are so broad that you would be better off improving those than trying to do something of the like because you don’t really know what variants are going to be circulating,” Chise said. Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please