"Up until now, vaccines have targeted the original strain of the coronavirus. Many studies have demonstrated that omicron is better at evading existing vaccines than previous strains, leading some other countries, such as Britain, to authorize omicron-specific vaccines.
Doing the same in the United States makes sense. Omicron has been dominant here since December 2021 and constitutes virtually all new cases. The BA.5 subvariant alone makes up nearly 89 percent of infections. Both Pfizer and Moderna presented compelling data that a bivalent booster, composed of the original vaccine plus a component targeted to BA.4 and BA.5, will increase the antibodies directed against omicron subvariants.
Those who oppose authorization say that not enough studies have been done to prove that the bivalent version is superior to the original one. In some ways, they are right; real-world studies are still ongoing to prove the new booster is superior. But laboratory studies on a vaccine’s ability to induce antibodies are a good proxy. We also have many years of experience from the flu vaccine, which is updated annually to match emerging mutations.
Moreover, there is a real cost to waiting for definitive results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 1 million hospitalizations and 100,000 deaths could be averted if booster coverage reached last year’s flu vaccination levels by Oct. 31.
To me, the most crucial part of the CDC’s recommendation is that it simplified booster terminology. Now, all people 12 and older will be considered up-to-date on coronavirus vaccines if they have received this updated version."
Leana S. Wen, a Washington Post contributing columnist who writes the newsletter The Checkup with Dr. Wen, is a professor at George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health and author of the book "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health." Previously, she served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...ccine-omicron/