Aatmi Mehta & Star Yu
Low booster vaccination rates
Despite the numerous benefits of receiving booster vaccines, Americans remain wary and
even uneducated about booster vaccination and thus are not getting vaccinated against new variants. Between August 31st and October 23rd 2022, approximately 14.4 million persons
aged 12+ years received a bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose, and 8.2 million adults aged 18+ years received a bivalent Moderna booster dose (CDC). These rates are astonishingly low given over 260 Million Americans have received at least one dose. For another comparison, Los Angeles county has a population of 9.83 million, more than the total number of bivalent boosted American adults. These astonishingly low booster vaccination rates are contributing to the spread and transmission of COVID-19 and the evolution of the virus.
Americans’ attitudes about vaccination
One cause for such low booster rates is Americans feeling a return to normalcy instead of fear for their lives as they did at the beginning of the pandemic (VOA News). With school, work, sporting e
vents, and other large gatherings returning in person, Americans feel less threatened by the virus and thus do not feel it is urgent to receive the booster. Another issue remains the lack of education and communication about the updated booster. “A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found half of participants had either heard little or nothing about the new bivalent COVID-19 booster, which targets the omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. Additionally, some Americans don't know if the updated booster is recommended for them.” (ABC News). As Americans move on from the pandemic and experience what experts call “COVID pandemic fatigue and vaccine fatigue”, they do not pay as much attention to communication regarding COVID-19 information and updates, leading to a lack of awareness about the new vaccine.
Importance of boosters
Getting boosters will help neutralize the newest variants. According to studies by Pfizer, “three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine neutralized the omicron variant while two doses reduced severity” (Mayo Clinic). Neutralizing covid variants completely can drastically reduce the chance of the coronavirus from spreading. Additionally, each new infection represents an opportunity for the virus to mutate. Taking boosters can decrease the likelihood of infection, the severity of illness, and the transmission of new mutations.
Preventing new variants
New mutations will likely continue to arise as more and more people are infected. One group of people is particularly susceptible: the immunocompromised. Those suffering from “cancer, organ transplantation, HIV infection/AIDS, and autoimmune diseases'' become ideal hosts for the coronavirus to infect and mutate (Frontiers). In patients who have prolonged infections, the inner cellular battleground gives coronavirus variants more chances to find ideal, beneficial mutations. Therefore, those belonging to the aforementioned group should prioritize getting booster shots over other things in their schedule. Every single infection can result in the birth of new dangerous variants. The rise of new variants poses a threat to all of humanity.
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