Does My Covid Vaccine Still Work? I Asked A GP If It’s Time For A Booster

Covid vaccineRecently, the Covid strain XFG – nicknamed “Stratus”– became the dominant variant in the UK. Before then, the “Nimbus” strain was rapidly spreading. In both cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that while they were “variants under monitoring”, the “Currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective” against the mutations. They can help to prevent extreme symptoms and reduce the risk of people getting seriously ill, the WHO explained, even though both Stratus and Nimbus strains have mutated from the original virus. But does that mean we should all be getting more Covid vaccines? Who needs to get them more often, given that their effects “wane”? HuffPost UK asked GP, Dr Suzanne Wylie, a medical adviser for IQdoctor, about who may need yearly vaccines.It really does depend on the person “As with the flu vaccine, COVID vaccinations are now being tailored to the most prevalent strains circulating at the time,” Dr Wylie said.“Currently, the general advice is that most people do not need regular COVID boosters unless they fall into higher-risk categories, such as those over 75, individuals with underlying health conditions, or those who are immunocompromised.”This is different to 2024 when booster vaccines were given to everyone over 65.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said in a report that they made these changes because population-level immunity has improved, thanks to exposure to the virus and/or vaccines (this combination is called “hybrid immunity”).As a result, they said, they chose to focus on people most at risk, including “the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.” For healthy younger adults, Dr Wylie added, “routine vaccination is not usually necessary more than once a year, if at all, unless advised otherwise during periods of high transmission or in response to a new variant of concern.” The NHS say they will contact you if you’re eligible for a vaccine. This may be the case if you’re over 75, are immunocompromised, and/or live in a care home for adults.How do vaccines protect against variants if they’re not designed for them?Dr Wylie says that “Vaccines, including updated COVID boosters, are designed to provide protection against the most common or concerning strains each season.”“While no vaccine offers complete immunity,” she added, “they significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and complications.”But newer variants, like the Stratus strain, can “sometimes partially evade prior immunity, which is why updated vaccines may be offered if there’s evidence of increased severity or spread.”The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) monitor Covid risk levels and will help determine if a wider rollout becomes necessary.“For now,” Dr Wylie told HuffPost UK, “for most younger, healthy individuals, annual or less frequent vaccination is generally sufficient.” Related...New Covid Stratus Strain Is Dominant In The UK – Here's Its Most Unique SymptomNew Covid Variant Nimbus Symptom May Show Up When You Swallow, Doctor SaysReform UK MP James McMurdock Gives Up Party Whip Over Covid Loans Allegations

Comments

Breaking news

NHS blood-carrying drones plan branded crazy by Londoners

Metro

Comments

Breaking news

NHS blood-carrying drones plan branded crazy by Londoners

Trump complains about Putin’s ‘bulls***’ during Ukraine peace talks

Body found in woodland confirmed as missing twin

‘Controlling’ man ‘murdered ex on night she told him they wouldn’t see each other again’

Vast Majority Of Brits Back A Wealth Tax On The Super-Rich, Poll Reveals

Emmanuel Macron says immigration is a ‘burden’ France and UK ‘must fix’ in address to parliament

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione announces retirement plans

What is ‘Mistral’ wind? The weather event fanning the Marseille wildfire

Lord of the Rings director backs de-extinction project

Trump questions why people are talking about ‘creep’ Epstein - despite his push to release the files

Neolithic farming halls older than Stonehenge discovered beneath school

The Guadalupe River in Texas surged 26 feet in just 45 minutes. No one saw it coming

Catholics in Congo honor an anti-corruption martyr newly beatified by the Vatican

Colon cancer is spiking in young adults. Scientists are blaming the American diet

Noem says first responders in Texas 'still looking for a lot of little girls' missing after flood

Washington Democrats don’t know whether to panic or surrender to left-wing Mamdani’s playbook after NYC race shocker

‘There is no water to take a bath’: Detainees describe conditions in Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

Hot flush pill for menopausal women approved for use in UK

London stocks close higher as latest US tariff rates received

Heart-stopping moment NYPD officer races to grab woman trying to jump off bridge

California hiker suffered injury so gruesome that it took five helicopters and two days to rescue her

Trump Media files for 'Crypto Blue Chip ETF' with SEC

St. Jude Children's Hospital's fundraising arm selects new CEO in midst of global expansion

Trump says he’s ‘not happy with Putin’ as US resumes weapons deliveries to Ukraine

Chuck Schumer hospitalized for dehydration amid sweltering DC heat wave

Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, shot 9 times by a man posing as an officer, leaves the hospital

Britain preparing for blackouts on the scale of power cuts seen in Spain and Portugal, resilience plan reveals

Trump furiously brands question about Epstein ‘a desecration’ amid mounting criticism

Lover of local Highland Games to be remembered at Stirling event

Baby boy left 'unable to walk, talk or see' after vegan parents put him in sauna

Reform UK MP quits Nigel Farage's party after taking 'specialist legal advice'

UK and France have 'shared responsibility' to tackle illegal migration, Macron says

Man found dead in Edinburgh City Chambers as cops investigate 'mystery' death

Kneecap arrive at sold-out O2 Academy Glasgow gig after TRNSMT axe

North Lanarkshire to benefit from additional Empty Homes Officers

Trump applying 'heavy pressure' on Netanyahu to end Gaza war, sources tell Sky News

Israel intensifies Gaza bloodshed as soldiers blown up amid ceasefire talks

Was the BBC right to fire Gregg Wallace over MasterChef scandal? Vote in our poll

Teacher mauled by lion at zoo pictured as clip of staff kissing predator emerges

Masked man repeatedly shot by police in Kent was 'wielding chainsaw and carrying IED'

Kate Middleton makes huge decision on attending state banquet in Palace update

Kate Middleton sneaks in cosy cuddle with Prince William during French state visit

Emmanuel Macron hits out at Brexit in Parliament - and makes dramatic vow

Little Lioness army roar for England 800-miles away as team takes on the Dutch

Mirror's Daily Digest - five stories you might have missed today

Hunt for man who 'pulled pin from grenade on packed train' as cops release CCTV

MIKEY SMITH: 8 unhinged Donald Trump moments as he has bizarre meltdown over Jeffrey Epstein

At least 13 people driven to suicide by the Post Office Horizon scandal, inquiry finds

Apocalyptic wildfire ‘at gates of Marseille’ with smoke blocking out sun

Earth is spinning so fast that tomorrow will be shorter – but is time going faster?

Scientists now believe Earth is sunken near the centre of a giant cosmic void

Monzo created bank accounts for people claiming to live in 10 Downing Street

Netanyahu and Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize comments made feel sick

Wagner Group ‘proxies’ carried out arson on Ukraine-linked warehouse in London

Farage Urged To 'Come Clean About What He Knew' After Reform MP Quits Party

Does My Covid Vaccine Still Work? I Asked A GP If It’s Time For A Booster

'I Hated School, I Struggled With All Of It – Until I Had This Diagnosis'

Here's How Celebs Are Actually Chosen For Wimbledon's Royal Box, And Even A-Listers Struggle To Get In

Wildfire near Marseille suspends flights, prompts stay-at-home orders

Voices: Readers torn on wealth tax – from ‘the only counterbalance’ to ‘utterly counter-productive’