A Big Booster Push Now Would Be Wrong and Dangerous
The World Health Organization is right to call for a halt to booster shots until more people in the developing world get their first vaccinations.
The World Health Organization is calling for a halt to booster shots in wealthy nations so developing nations can catch up. Good idea.
Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/BloombergA growing number of wealthy countries including Israel and Germany are now launching or making plans for Covid booster-shot initiatives for parts of their populations amid evidence of waning immunity among some of the vaccinated. That’s prompted the World Health Organization to call for a moratorium on top-up shots through September or until all countries are at least 10% vaccinated. In the U.S., boosters aren't officially allowed, but people are going out and getting them on their own. The WHO has it right — the priority should be first vaccinations as long as supplies are limited and there's a huge global disparity in protection.
Existing data suggests the vast majority of those who are vaccinated don't need a booster yet. Rolling third doses out broadly at this point is an ethically questionable, potentially dangerous and ineffective way of fighting the pandemic.