Mass boosters unnecessary: AZ vax developer

As Britain’s vaccine watchdog deliberates whether to introduce a booster programme for healthy people vaccinated against the coronavirus, Professor Sarah Gilbert of Oxford University, who led the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine, said on Thursday that a third dose was unnecessary for most. Gilbert told Daily Telegraph that booster shots should be prioritised only for the immunocompromised and elderly, because in most people, the immunity from two doses is holding up. “We need to get vaccines to countries where few of the population have been vaccinated so far,” she said. “We have to do better in this regard. The first dose has the most impact.”

The comments came as UK medicine regulator recommended on Wednesday that both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines could be used as “safe and effective” booster doses. UK health secretary Sajid Javid announced this month that a third dose would be offered to those with compromised immune systems, aged 12 and over. The vaccination committee is deliberating whether to roll out boosters more widely. NYT