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US officials are weighing whether to offer people who are at high risk of severe Covid-19 the chance to get another bivalent booster, according to a source familiar with the deliberations, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to share the details of ongoing discussions.
While most Americans have gladly put pandemic precautions – including vaccines – in the rear view, some who are trying to protect themselves or their loved ones from severe illness have been anxiously wondering how soon they can get another shot.
One of them is Michael Osterholm, who directs the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Prevention.
The 70-year-old was quick to get an updated bivalent booster when they were rolled out in the US last fall. The bivalent booster is now recommended for all Americans 5 and older at least two months after their last dose of a vaccine or three months after a Covid-19 infection.
In February, roughly six months after his previous booster, Osterholm asked about topping off his protection with a second bivalent shot, but “I was turned down,” he said.
Studies of the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccines show that their protection against infection, emergency room visits and hospitalizations fades after six months as levels of neutralizing antibodies in the blood fall. Some protection is left in B-cells and T-cells, components of the immune system that retain a memory of past invaders, though the duration of that protection isn’t fully understood.
Last week, Dr. Osterholm caught Covid-19 for the first time.
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