Eight months after the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Israel, the country is seeing a surge of infections, raising questions about the need for a booster shot to lower the risk of infections. 

Several countries including Israel, Germany and France have decided to give booster shots to the elderly and people with weak immune systems in response to this development. In the US, an advisory has been given for most Americans to receive their COVID-19 booster shot eight months after their second shot.

Why an eight-month time frame? The timing was determined based on a confluence of findings on how vaccines have held up over time, including studies showing waning vaccine efficacy against variants. However, some scientists have criticised this decision as premature, citing evidence that vaccines have still kept people from becoming severely sick in breakthrough infections. 

The reality is, while developed nations have started discussing the need for booster shots for their population, most developing countries have yet to arrive at a 10% vaccination rate - a target the World Health Organisation (WHO) aims to achieve before booster shots are given out. As such, it is calling for a temporary halt to booster vaccines, hoping that the focus can instead be put on ramping up vaccine supply to the billions who are still waiting for their first dose. 

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Click here to register.