Experts say yes, but who will receive it and where remains uncertain.
Some say the coronavirus pandemic could wind down by the end of this year, at least in developed countries. Countries that have been hit hard in the west such as the US and the UK are seeing daily case numbers drop consistently at the time of this writing, as are deaths from COVID-19. Rising vaccine rates are being given credit for the majority of this success, as well as public health measures like continued social distancing and mask wearing. While developing countries like India continue to face an uphill battle against COVID-19, it does seem like things can potentially get-and stay-better someday.
But when will that day come? Will we be there by this time next year? By that time will the pandemic be, dare we say it, over?
Some health experts think it could be. Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, an infectious disease expert from Toronto, Canada, told CTVnews.ca that day is coming. Sharkawy thinks we may even celebrate Thanksgiving together this coming fall. A miracle! This being said, it could be that the virus becomes endemic, he noted. When an illness is endemic it is persistently present within a certain geographic area but at lower levels than during a pandemic. (A pandemic refers to a sudden increase of a certain disease all across multiple countries). Essentially, if the novel coronavirus becomes endemic it means we will be living with it at lower levels. It won’t go away entirely.
If this happens, how will life proceed? The annual flu season may have some clues.
Seasonal Coronavirus Shots?
It isn’t certain exactly how long you are protected from the coronavirus when you get a vaccine. Vaccine makers have estimated the shots will likely protect us for at least six months. Beyond that is a bit of a guessing game, and how much each shot can protect you from falling severely sick with COVID-19 as the world faces a growing number of variants is an ever-changing scene.
For instance, Pfizer’s vaccine has been found to be about 95% effective against the original strain of the novel coronavirus, 88% effective against the B.1.617.2 variant from India, and just 75% effective against the South African variant B.1.351. What lies in the future remains a mystery.
Related: This is What Happens When You Mix Coronavirus Vaccine Doses
News reports indicate both Pfizer and Moderna feel that booster coronavirus shots will be needed to keep the public safe as we move forwards in time. Just as the flu shot is available each year, an annual COVID-19 shot could be something you get. Experts are saying this should only happen if the effectiveness of the current vaccines is proven to be waning. Lab studies will need to show that blood samples from vaccinated people indicate low and declining levels of antibodies against the coronavirus present in people who have already had a vaccine.
It could be that only people with weakened immune systems, like the elderly, will need to get the shots. It could also be the case that things become more regional. What is recommended in one part of the world-or a country-could differ from another location. That remains to be seen, however.
For more on this issue and what is being done about it, click here. To read more about how seasonal flu vaccines are developed, click here.
photo credits: Cheryl Casey/Shutterstock.com
