- The coronavirus has already gone through many mutations and will continue to evolve over time.
- Growing evidence suggests the vaccines will provide long lasting immunity, even against new variants.
- But experts are watching the variants closely to see whether a booster shot will be needed to end the pandemic.
As coronavirus variants emerge and spread, speculation is increasing about whether we’ll eventually need booster shots to maintain our protection against COVID-19.
All viruses mutate. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, has already gone through many mutations and will continue to evolve over time.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean our vaccines will lose their power to protect us, or that we’ll need a booster shot.
Our immune system is complex and robust, so even when the coronavirus mutates, our cells — which are skilled at remembering pathogens — will still be able to recognize the virus and get to work.
Due to the complex nature of our immune system, many infectious disease specialists don’t expect booster shots to be necessary — at least anytime soon.
Emerging evidence suggests the vaccines will provide long lasting protection and hold up against the current variants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently stated there’s no data to suggest we’ll need COVID-19 vaccine boosters — but that scientists will continue to monitor the virus to see if this changes over time.
Source: healthline