COVID-19 Booster Shot: The Impact of Vaccine Policies and Hesitancy

As the winter approaches, it is important to get updated on COVID-19 vaccines for protection. Currently, the only authorized options are mRNA-based vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. While Novavax's vaccine is still under review, health officials advise not to wait for it and get an mRNA vaccine as soon as possible. Studies show that the mRNA vaccines still produce a strong antibody response against newer variants. However, there may be differences in how the immune system responds to mRNA and recombinant protein vaccines. mRNA vaccines may produce a more robust T cell response, which is crucial for protection against severe disease. Novavax's vaccine also shows promise in generating a good T cell response. Overall, experts believe that all authorized vaccines provide good protection against severe disease, so it is more important to get vaccinated rather than focusing on the specific type of vaccine.