In a review, scientists conclude the vaccines are working well despite the extra-contagious delta variant, especially against severe disease.
that as delta surged, the unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely than the fully vaccinated to get infected, over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die. Still, government scientists are also weighing hints that protection is waning among older adults who were vaccinated early last winter.
The writers of Monday's commentary reported reviewing worldwide studies since delta began surging, mostly of U.S. and European vaccines. The team concluded “none of these studies has provided credible evidence of substantially declining protection against severe disease.” Because the body builds layers of immunity, gradual drops in antibody levels don't necessarily mean overall effectiveness is dropping"and reductions in vaccine efficacy against mild disease do not necessarily predict reductions in the efficacy against severe disease,” they wrote.
The more the virus spreads, the more opportunity it has to evolve into strains that could escape current vaccines. The Lancet reviewers suggest there could be bigger gains from creating booster doses that better match circulating variants, much like flu vaccine is regularly updated, than from just giving extra doses of the original vaccine.
“There is an opportunity now to study variant-based boosters before there is widespread need for them,” the scientists wrote.
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