Omicron-specific Covid boosters appear to work well, new data says—regardless of the side effects you experience (via CNBCMakeIt)
Here's what you need to know about the protection the new boosters provide, and where side effects fit into the equation:Pfizer and Moderna's redesigned shots are bivalent, meaning they're tailored to the original Covid strain and omicron BA.4 and BA.5. All AmericansLike previous Covid vaccines, the new boosters are designed to help you fight the virus by triggering an immune response in your body.
Such data might better measure the full protection Pfizer's new booster can provide against omicron's subvariants. Covid vaccines typically take two to three weeks to fully ramp up your immunity, which can help your body stop an infection from happening or keep it from progressing to severe disease. "We know the data isn't complete, but it's also reassuring that after seven days you're already seeing an increase in antibodies," Maldanado says. "The response is very consistent with what we've seen in the past with other vaccines."Side effects — in this case, the— are a natural part of our immune response to a vaccine, Maldonado says. Clinical trials on earlier versions of bivalent boosters targeting omicron's BA.
Out in the real world, the severity seems to be "kind of a mixed bag," Maldonado says: Some people may have a worse, similar or more mild experience compared to their prior vaccine doses. "There's going to be some risk of side effects. For most people, you're going to feel something, but that doesn't mean vaccines aren't safe or won't protect you," she adds.
"You're still going to have a nice rise to your antibody levels, you're still very much protected either way," Chu says.