Is the booster still effective against new variants as the COVID surge persists?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the summer surge of COVID-19 is far from over. Hospitalizations have increased by 21.6% in the past week, and deaths have risen by over 8%. These numbers indicate that people are still getting severely ill from the virus, despite efforts to combat it. While an updated booster shot is in the works, it may not be available for another month or two.

The current vaccine booster was last updated in the previous year to address the highly contagious omicron variant. However, omicron has since given rise to various subvariants, with names composed of letters and numbers. The most common subvariants currently circulating are EG.5 and several types of XBB, as reported by the CDC.

Despite the evolving nature of the subvariants, doctors believe that the current booster is effective in preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death. However, its ability to prevent mild symptoms and infection may be less durable, as explained by Dr. Peter Chin-Hong from the University of California, San Francisco.

Unfortunately, for many individuals, it has been several months or close to a year since their last dose of the vaccine. A recent study revealed that the effectiveness of the bivalent booster dropped to 24% after four to six months. Nonetheless, the study noted that the vaccine remained effective in preventing critical outcomes, such as ICU admission or death.

Given this information, is it time to get another dose? In most cases, the answer is no. The CDC currently recommends a second bivalent booster only for individuals aged 65 and older or those who are immunocompromised.

For everyone else seeking an additional dose, they will likely have to wait for the new booster. Although there is no confirmed release date, it is expected to be available sometime between September and October. This updated vaccine, identified as XBB.1.5, will be more closely matched to the variants circulating in the U.S. for the majority of the year, making it highly effective in combating the virus.

In the coming weeks, the Food and Drug Administration will determine which groups can receive the new booster shot, and the CDC will provide their recommendations accordingly. It is important for individuals who are currently eligible for a booster to take action and not wait, as the availability of the new monovalent vaccine remains uncertain.

If you are at high risk and prefer to wait, there are other options available to decrease the risk of hospitalization if you contract COVID-19 during this time. Early therapies such as Paxlovid can be utilized to substantially lower the chances of severe illness, as suggested by Dr. Sherif Mossad, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic.

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