On Sunday, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with host George Stephanopoulos.
During the segment, Stephanopoulos asked Fauci about COVID-19 booster shots, as well as if further immunization will be required in the future.
“Should we be thinking about three shots now as the standard of care?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“Well, I certainly think … it’s the optimal care,” Fauci replied, noting that what constitutes being vaccinated in an official capacity is still only two mRNA shots or one Johnson and Johnson shot.
Stephanopoulos then asked Fauci if we should “be expecting yearly boosters,” to which Fauci responded:
…it’s tough to tell because the third shot of an mRNA could not only do what we absolutely know it does, is it dramatically increased the level of protection. But from an immunological standpoint, it could very well increase the durability of protection by things that you can’t readily measure by the level of antibodies, that you might have a maturation of the immune system that would prolong the durability.
Fauci then added that time will tell if more boosters are required. “If it becomes necessary to get yet another boost, then we’ll just have to deal with it when that occurs,” he stated.
Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @GStephanopoulos that it’s “tough to tell” now whether yearly boosters will be expected.
“If it becomes necessary to get yet another boost, then we’ll just have to deal with it when that occurs.” https://t.co/KFbPnqf5tO pic.twitter.com/GJRy81CBgq
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 12, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
STEPHANOPOULOS: You talked about the advantages of the booster. Do we — should we be thinking about three shots now as the standard of care?
FAUCI: Well, I certainly think, George, it’s the optimal care. I mean, for official requirements, it’s still two shots of the mRNA and one shot of the J&J, for the official determination of what’s required or not. But I think if you are looking at the data, the more and more it becomes clear that if you want to be optimally protected, you really should get a booster. And I think we’ll be continuing to evaluate what the official designation is. But, for now, if you want to be optimally protected, absolutely get a booster if you’ve already had your primary vaccination.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And projecting forward, should we be expecting yearly boosters?
FAUCI: You know, George, it’s tough to tell because the third shot of an mRNA could not only do what we absolutely know it does, is it dramatically increased the level of protection. But from an immunological standpoint, it could very well increase the durability of protection by things that you can’t readily measure by the level of antibodies, that you might have a maturation of the immune system that would prolong the durability.
You don’t know that, George, until you just follow it over a period of months. If it becomes necessary to get yet another boost, then we’ll just have to deal with it when that occurs. But I’m hoping, from an immunological standpoint, that that third shot of an mRNA and the second shot of a J&J will give a much greater durability of protection than just the six months or so that we’re seeing right now.