Fact check: Booster shots are normal, not evidence of failed vaccine, experts say

Ella Lee, USA TODAY
·4 min read
A booster shot sits ready at the Massillon Health Department in northeast Ohio during a Covid-10 vaccine booster clinic. (Julie Vennitti Botos/The Repository)

The claim: A booster shot is just another dose of a failed vaccine

With just over half the country fully vaccinated against COVID-19, news that a booster shot will be required for many to receive peak immunity is being met with resistance.

“There is no such thing as a ‘booster,’” an Oct. 26 Facebook post reads. “There is a failed product that is sometimes used again in hopes of a different outcome, which is the definition of insanity.”

The post acquired more than 900 likes and 300 shares in five days.

But it's not true. Experts say it’s not out of the ordinary for vaccines to require a booster shot months after the first jab. Studies so far have shown the COVID-19 vaccine reduces the chance of infection eight-fold and the chance of hospitalization or death 25-fold.

USA TODAY reached out to the person who made the Facebook post.

Booster shots, explained

Dr. Stuart Ray , an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said booster shots are about updating strategy as circumstances change.

In the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine doses were given close together because it was shown to give “higher and more sustained early antibody responses,” which was important while infection rates remained high and immunity of the masses was a top priority, according to Ray, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. But now that effort has proved successful, experts are looking to make those responses last.

That’s where booster shots come in. The COVID-19 booster shot ensures optimal protection from the virus, as public health experts have seen some reduced protection as time passes after vaccination, particularly among certain populations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They’re the same formulation as the original COVID-19 vaccines, though Moderna’s booster is given at half dose.

“As we head into fall and winter, the highest priority remains initial vaccination to protect people from severe illness and the health care system from being overwhelmed, but boosting responses appears to help sustain the protective effect of initial vaccination even for people with a good immune system,” Ray said.

More: CDC panel backs booster expansion despite concerns

He said a number of vaccines have been found to provide stronger and longer-lasting immunity when the first and last doses are separated by six months. The COVID-19 vaccine’s plan of attack is similar to those of conventional vaccines like HBV, HPV and Shringrex, in which the immune system “needs a little time to settle down” before booster shots are given to provide long-lasting immunity, he said.

“The ideal vaccine is one which, after just a single dose, provides lifelong immunity to disease,” said Dr. Patrick Jackson, an infectious disease expert at the University of Virginia. “Unfortunately, it's hard to get the immune system to mount a highly active and long-lasting response if it only sees its new target once.”

The fact the vaccine requires multiple shots to provide optimal immunity makes it more normal, not less, according to Jackson, an assistant professor in the university's Infectious Diseases and International Health division.

“I think it's not surprising that the COVID vaccines seem to require a boost to give the best response,” he said. “Obviously, we'd all prefer a one-and-done vaccine, but our experience with other vaccines is that it's fairly rare to be able to do that – and if we knew why a single dose worked so well for yellow fever, we'd understand more about the immune system than we currently do. The requirement for a booster just makes the COVID vaccines pretty normal vaccines.”

More: FDA OKs mixing COVID vaccine boosters, backs Moderna, J&J boosters

While there’s no vaccine that’s 100% effective, there is ample evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine works.

“It's possible that this will be the last boost needed for many years,” Ray said.

Studies have concluded that people fully vaccinated are eight times less likely to be infected by the virus and 25 times less likely to die or be hospitalized because of it, compared to unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.

Our rating: False

We rate the claim that a booster shot is just another dose of a failed vaccine as FALSE. Experts say it’s not out of the ordinary for vaccines to require a booster shot months after the first jab. Studies so far have shown the COVID-19 vaccine reduces the chance of infection eight-fold and the chance of hospitalization or death 25-fold.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: COVID-19 booster shots are normal, experts say