AstraZeneca scientist says COVID-19 boosters may be unnecessary for many

The creator of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine told The Telegraph in an interview published Thursday that a booster shot may not be necessary for the majority of people.

Oxford University professor Sarah Gilbert told the news outlet that she could see certain situations in which those who were older or immunocompromised may need a third COVID-19 shot, but she stressed that “immunity is lasting well in the majority of people.” 

“As the virus spreads between people, it mutates and adapts and evolves, like the delta variant. With these outbreaks, we want to stop that as quickly as possible,” Gilbert told The Telegraph.

“We will look at each situation; the immunocompromised and elderly will receive boosters. But I don’t think we need to boost everybody. Immunity is lasting well in the majority of people.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the vaccine advisory committee for the United Kingdom, is expected to make an announcement soon regarding whether COVID-19 booster can be given to the majority of Britons, according to the BBC. 

Those who are severely compromised immune systems have already been given the green light to get a third shot of the vaccine, Reuters reported.

On Thursday, the U.K. medical regulator said that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines could be used for COVID-19 boost shots. 

The news comes as the United States is also determining when and which people will be eligible for the COVID-19 booster shot. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration said that certain people who were immunocompromised could receive a third shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Despite the fact that the Biden administration announced last month that booster shots would begin rolling out to the majority of Americans starting on Sept. 20, health officials have since sought a “pause” due to not enough data.