Coronavirus vaccination: What after you get a COVID booster? Will you need a dose even after the booster shot? Find out

With the onset of the Omicron variant, experts have warned against the declining effectiveness of COVID vaccines. It is believed that the two standard doses do not provide enough protection against the heavily mutated variant, which has led to huge concerns.

In light of such findings, scientists and medical professionals have introduced the idea of "tweaking" the vaccines or developing a new Omicron-specific shot, which will prove effective against the new strain. Additionally, it has been found that vaccine boosters were effective at providing protection against the highly transmissible variant. India too rolled out COVID precaution doses for people aged 60 and above with comorbidities on January 10, this year.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against "a vaccination strategy based on repeated booster doses of the original vaccine composition is unlikely to be appropriate or sustainable”.

Also read: Coronavirus: Signs you may have had the Omicron but didn't know

Also read: "Should I try to get infected by Omicron since it's mild and gets me natural immunity?" Experts answer

Coronavirus booster shots are said to scale up immune protection provided by the two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. While experts believe that vaccine-induced immunity may diminish over time, administering additional shots can trigger more effective immune responses, while also increasing antibody counts in the body.

With the emergence of new COVID variants, the demand for booster shots has only shot up. Given that breakthrough infections are becoming more prevalent and fully vaccinated continue to remain at risk, a third COVID vaccine dose will only ramp up immunity, claim experts.

Also read: Coronavirus: Why Omicron symptoms are similar to common cold

In India, coronavirus vaccination began exactly a year ago. COVID-19 vaccines were first launched to be administered to those above 45 years of age. Healthcare and frontline workers were also among the few people who were prioritized for the vaccination.

Now, due to new emerging variants that are said to lower vaccine efficacy, and diminishing vaccine immunity, breakthrough infections have become more prevalent it seems. Therefore, as per experts, booster shots may help re-expose one's immune system to the immunizing antigen, the memory of which (after the previous dose) might have been lost over a period of time.

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While older adults, those with pre-existing chronic illnesses and immunocompromised people continue to remain at risk of developing severe illnesses and health complications, experts believe these vulnerable groups of people should be prioritized for booster shots.

Currently, in India, booster vaccine administration is ongoing among people aged 60 and above with medical comorbidities. Healthcare and frontliners, who also received their COVID vaccines during the first leg of vaccine roll out, are eligible for the precaution dose in India.

As Israel braces up to provide a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 and older, many have begun to wonder whether booster shots will become a regular affair. Research and discussions around the same are ongoing and experts are debating whether a third vaccine booster will be enough to protect people from emerging variants, or will we need repeated doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Although booster shots have proven effective to some extent, especially in the face of the Omicron variant, whether or not a fourth shot or repeated booster doses provide heightened protection against new variants is yet to be seen.

In a recent Israeli study, it was found that a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose may provide only limited protection against infection from the omicron variant. As per reports, Prof. Gili Regev-Yochay, the director of Sheba Medical Center’s infectious disease unit and a lead researcher on the study, said that while the fourth dose increased antibodies that protect against coronavirus compared to three shots, it is “not good enough” to completely protect against an Omicron infection.

Additionally, WHO's stance on booster vaccines remains the same as before. Previously, the global health agency had said "primary vaccination series should be prioritized over booster vaccination."

"Offering booster doses to a large proportion of a population when many have not yet received even a first dose undermines the principle of national and global equity," says the health organization. It further adds by saying, "Prioritizing booster doses over speed and breadth in the initial dose coverage may also damage the prospects for global mitigation of the pandemic, with severe implications for the health, social and economic well-being of people globally."

Now, while many countries have started booster administration, it is strongly against introducing repeated doses of COVID boosters and says it is not a "sustainable" approach.

In light of the highly infectious Omicron variant, many experts came to the fore and expressed their concerns. Some suggested "tweaking" or updating the existing COVID vaccines, while representatives of pharmaceutical firms such as Moderna and Pfizer, have openly announced their plans to develop an Omicron-specific vaccine.

But while a variant-specific vaccine may seem like a viable solution now, by the time it releases, will we still be in dire need of it, given that Omicron infection rates are plummeting day by day. As different variants continue to emerge, it may become impossible to keep up and by the time the vaccine is ready, it may not be as necessary or needed.