AstraZeneca scientist says COVID-19 boosters may be unnecessary for many

The creator of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine told the Telegraph in an interview released Thursday that a booster may not be necessary for the majority of people.

Oxford University professor Sarah Gilbert told the outlet she could see certain situations in which older or immunocompromised people might need a third injection of COVID-19, but stressed that “Immunity lasts well in the majority of people.”

“As the virus spreads between people, it mutates, adapts and evolves, like the delta variant. With these outbreaks, we want to stop this as quickly as possible, ”Gilbert told The Telegraph.

“We will look at each situation; the immunocompromised and the elderly will receive boosters. But I don’t think we need to boost everyone. Immunity lasts well in the majority of people.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, the vaccine advisory committee for the UK, is expected to make an announcement soon as to whether the COVID-19 booster can be administered to the majority of Britons, according to the BBC.

Those with severely compromised immune systems have already been given the green light to receive a third shot of the vaccine, Reuters reported.

The British medical regulator said on Thursday that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines could be used for COVID-19 booster injections.

The news comes as the United States is also determining when and who will be eligible for the COVID-19 recall. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration said some immunocompromised people may receive a third injection of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Despite the fact that the Biden administration announced last month that booster shots would begin rolling out to the majority of Americans from September 20, health officials have since called for a “break” due to the lack of data.