Reuters that people at high risk of severe disease who have yet to get a second Covid-19 booster should not wait for next-generation, Omicron-targeted vaccines expected in the fall.
This statement come in as many countries are starting to report cases of BA.5 Omicron subvariant of the virus surging. It is important to note that current vaccines continue to offer protection against hospitalization for severe disease and death.
The report stated that as the virus evolves, it is not known what version will be widely circulating in the fall or whether new vaccines - expected to target BA.4/5 in the United States and BA.1 in Europe - will be a good match.
Dr John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, who co-wrote an editorial on the subject currently under review said, “If you need a booster, get it now." According to the Reuters report, in the United States, regulators have asked Pfizer Inc with partner BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc to develop vaccine boosters that target both the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron cousins, as well as the original virus.