EXPLAINER: What do we know about booster shots for COVID-19?

U.S. health officials plan to offer COVID-19 booster shots to vaccinated Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is declining

U.S. health officials plan to offer COVID-19 booster shots to vaccinated Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is declining. A look at what we know about boosters and how they could help fight the coronavirus pandemic: WHY MIGHT WE NEED BOOSTERS? It’s common for protection from vaccines to decrease over time. A tetanus booster, for example, is recommended every 10 years. Researchers and health officials have been monitoring the real-world performance of the COVID-19 vaccines to see how long protection lasts among vaccinated people. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. continue to offer very strong protection against severe disease and death.