NEW YORK – Are COVID-19 boosters identical to the original vaccines or are they different?
Yes, COVID-19 boosters still use the same recipe, despite the existence of the contagious delta variant. Because they are still effective, the vaccines were not modified to match delta.
Vaccines train your body to fight the spike protein that coats coronavirus and invades your cells. The mutations in Delta were not unusual enough to be detected.
Dr. Paul Goepfert is the director of the Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic. He says that a booster that matches the delta or other variants might offer some protection, but it would only be marginal.
The manufacturing of doses using a new formula would also have delayed the rollout.
Moderna and Pfizer have been looking at boosters that can be modified for the delta variant and other variants, to ensure they are ready in case of an emergency. The decision on whether or not a vaccine formula swap is worthwhile would be made by health authorities.
Goepfert stated that “what we don’t know” is whether a delta vaccine works better to prevent transmission or asymptomatic infections.
The U.S. has approved booster doses of the Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines for certain individuals. A few other countries are also using boosters of these shots or other COVID-19 vaccinations.
