When Will You Need a COVID-19 Booster Shot? Top Doctors, Vaccine Makers Explain

There are two reasons everyone may eventually need a booster shot.

Over a third of the U.S. population have been fully vaccinated. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. While in the U.S. a third of the population are now fully vaccinated, many countries are struggling with rampant infection rates and record death tolls as new mutations emerge worldwide. And even in developed nations where new COVID-19 cases keep falling thanks to vaccine rollouts, there is now no way of knowing exactly how long immunity will last.

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Both realities call for a serious discussion about a booster shot or an entirely new vaccine that can adapt to the constantly changing virus.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration’s chief science officer of the COVID-19 response team, David Kessler, said during a Senate hearing that the government has enough funding to buy booster shots and provide them to Americans for free if needed. Kessler said the CDC is still evaluating whether booster shots will be necessary in the U.S.

Why We Might Need Booster Shots

When Will You Need a COVID-19 Booster Shot? Top Doctors, Vaccine Makers Explain