Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute in Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, puts up a photo in Oxford, England. (Steve Parsons / PA via AP)
In Writing
UPDATED 6:13 PM PT – Friday, September 10, 2021
The scientist who pushed for the creation of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine said she didn’t believe boosters were needed at the time. In a recent interview, Professor Sarah Gilbert acknowledged that boosters may be needed in the elderly or in immunocompromised people.
However, he argued that he did not believe that drivers were needed for everyone by stating that “immunity lasts well in most people.” He added that the first dose was the most crucial for immunity.
This comes when the British medical regulator on Thursday gave up on Pfizer and AstraZeneca being used in future reinforcement programs. Immunocompromised people have already been allowed to receive a booster shot once it is available.
The UK Vaccine Advisory Committee is expected to make an announcement about the need to shoot booster in the near future.