Everybody was hoping that 2022 would be a better year and that we’ll finally get rid of the ongoing COVID pandemic. But as a week has passed since we’ve all entered the new year, the pandemic causes a rampant surge in infections across Europe and the USA.
Authorities continue to add a lot of faith in the COVID vaccines. Stephane Bancel, the Moderna CEO, is now claiming that a fourth COVID vaccine dose may be needed for people to take in the fall of this year, according to Reuters. The CEO motivates his claim by saying that the efficacy of the current vaccine boosters could decline in a few months.
Moderna is working on a vaccine candidate for Omicron
The Omicron variant is causing a lot of fuss worldwide. Except that it’s highly contagious, more contagious than the previous variants, it’s also believed to be able to partly bypass COVID vaccines. Under such circumstances, there’s no wonder why Bancel says that its company is trying to develop a vaccine candidate to tackle the new Omicron variant.
However, it’s not the first time when the need for a fourth vaccine dose is invoked. Israel has recently become one of the first countries in the world that demand four COVID vaccine doses for some citizens. Until now, those with weakened immune systems are targeted.
Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Israel, declared as cited by APNews.com:
Israel will lead the way in administering a fourth vaccine (dose) to the Israeli people,
Israel’s strategy for overcoming omicron is clear: The greater the wave, the greater the protection we will need to overcome it.
It shall be interesting to see if more countries will try to impose a fourth vaccine shot for their citizens. Also, how people will react to the demands is also an important aspect, as not everybody is excited about COVID vaccinations.
