Demand for COVID-19 boosters declines in U.S. as case numbers fall
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The uptake of booster COVID-19 shots has dropped in the U.S. as Omicron-fueled surge in case numbers plummet along with deaths and hospitalizations, The Wall Street Journal reported citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, only about 65% of Americans are fully vaccinated, meaning they have received either both doses of mRNA vaccines from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) vaccine.
The CDC recommends booster shots for those aged 12 years and older at least after five months from their second mRNA shot or at least two months from the single J&J (JNJ) shot.
While the fully vaccinated population is a prime target for booster campaigns, only about 44% of them have received an additional dose, according to the latest CDC data.
The seven-day average of booster shots administered in the U.S. has dropped to about 149,000 as of Feb. 19, from slightly over a million in Early December, when the federal agency had recommended them for all adults with the emergence of the Omicron variant.
âAs people become more complacent, they donât really see the need to get boosted,â The Journal reported quoting Meg Fisher, special adviser to New Jerseyâs health commissioner.
Likely reasons for the decline include the vaccinated people delaying the boosters after breakthrough cases, concerns about potential disruptions to work due to side effects such as fevers and tiredness, and the lack of urgency amid falling case numbers, according to Dr. Fisher.
Data from Johns Hopkins University indicate that the seven-day average of case numbers in the U.S. has plummeted below 75,000 from a peak of 800,000 last month. The COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths are also on the decline.
The lack of demand has affected both boosters as well as first vaccine doses. According to The Guardian, the seven-day average of new vaccinations in the U.S. has now reached the level in Dec. 2020 when the vaccines were not readily available with the launch of the COVID-19 immunization drive.
Meanwhile, the vaccine maker, Moderna (MRNA), projects that COVID-19 could reach the endemic status in 2022 with a larger sales impact for the company in the second half of the year.
Pfizer (PFE) has plans to introduce an Omicron-specific vaccine early this year with its partner BioNTech (BNTX). Pfizer (PFE) CEO Albert Bourla said last month that annual COVID-19 vaccines could be preferable to frequent boosters.