Dr. Anthony Fauci.Photo: Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images
A fourth dose of theCOVID-19vaccine might be necessary for some Americans.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that the mRNA shot’s protection begins to decline after about four months, according to astudyreleased Friday.
The study, which was conducted during the Omicron-dominate phase of the pandemic, focused on those who sought medical treatment for COVID-19 symptoms. It did not include a breakdown of age or whether their third dose was a booster or part of their primary inoculation series, which the CDCrecommendsfor some immunocompromised people.
“There may be the need for yet again another boost — in this case, a fourth-dose boost for an individual receiving the mRNA — that could be based on age, as well as underlying conditions,“Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert,told reportersTuesday.
Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty
Fauci clarified that recommendations for a fourth dose will likely not be made “across the board for everyone,” adding: “It very likely will take into account what subset of people have a diminished, or not, protection against the important parameters such as hospitalization.”
The CDC’s update comes after the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S.surpassed 900,000last week, less than two months after it reached 800,000. PresidentJoe Bidenurged Americans who hadn’t gotten their shots yetto get vaccinatedas he marked the tragic milestone.
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As of Feb. 11, about 75.8 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 64.3 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC’sCOVID Data Tracker. Just 42.7 percent of fully vaccinated people have gotten a booster dose, for which 50.2 percent are eligible.
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control showed that unvaccinated people in the U.S. were 53 times more likely to die of COVID-19 compared to those who are vaccinated and boosted.
“We can save even more lives — and spare countless families from the deepest pain imaginable — if everybody does their part,” Biden said.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
