A new study conducted by scientists at King’s College London has found that the protection offered by the AstraZeneca and Biontech/Pfizer vaccines against Covid-19 decreases significantly after just a few months. The study, which is based on data from 1.2 million British Covid-19 tests, shows that the need for booster shots is becoming increasingly urgent. The researchers found that the efficacy of the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine drops from 88% to 84% after just five to six months following the second dose, while the AstraZeneca vaccine’s effectiveness decreases from 77% to 67% after four to five months.
According to the lead researcher, Tim Spector, these results highlight the need for prompt booster shots, particularly for vulnerable groups. He warns that the protection offered by the vaccines is slowly waning, while the risk of infection remains high. The researchers predict that the efficacy of the vaccines will drop to below 50% among older people by next winter. As a result, the UK has already announced plans to launch a vaccination campaign to provide booster shots, with vulnerable groups receiving their third dose as early as September.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a different approach, arguing that the priority should be to vaccinate people in poorer countries before administering booster shots in wealthier nations. The WHO believes that this approach would help to bring the global Covid-19 pandemic to an earlier end. The organization warns that prioritizing people in richer countries would be a mistake, as it would exacerbate existing inequalities in access to vaccines.
In conclusion, the study’s findings suggest that the protection offered by the AstraZeneca and Biontech/Pfizer vaccines against Covid-19 is decreasing rapidly, making booster shots increasingly necessary. While the UK has already announced plans to launch a vaccination campaign to provide booster shots, the WHO has called for a different approach, prioritizing people in poorer countries. As the debate continues, it is clear that the global fight against Covid-19 remains a complex and challenging issue.
