With all the uncertainty around the Omicron variant, vaccine guidelines are evolving.
As evidence grows that the Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus are causing breakthrough infections in people who were once considered “fully vaccinated,” momentum seems to be growing to change the definition of that term to include booster shots. Some workplaces and college campuses are now mandating that vaccination include boosters. The governor of New York said that state officials planned to change the definition of “fully vaccinated ” to include receiving a booster dose, and Britain’s government won’t be far behind. The N.F.L. last week issued a booster shot mandate for team staff members who work closely with players. And the speculation is growing that we may have to get boosters regularly in future years as new variants emerge. A few months ago, confirming full vaccination status was as simple as showing a card or QR code with proof that the required number of shots had been completed within six months. But in a world of multiple vaccines with varying effectiveness, and a variety of mixing and matching strategies, it will soon be harder to say who is “fully vaccinated.” A consensus will eventually emerge. But here is what some health experts had to say as another year of living with the pandemic was nearing a close. For now, U.S. health officials say you are fully vaccinated two weeks after your second shot of a two-dose vaccine like Pfizer’s or Moderna’s or after a single-dose vaccine like Johnson & Johnson’s. They have not (yet) expanded that definition to include a booster shot. At a White House press briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the agency is “continuing to follow” the science around Omicron before it decides to expand the definition. However, the agency does recommend that people get booster shots.
