Moderna COVID-19 Booster Shot: Efficacy Rate vs. Omicron Variant, Side Effects, Who Is Eligible to Get It?

On Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration reduced the waiting period between vaccine shots. This is to urge Americans to get their Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 booster shot as soon as possible.

According to recent studies, Moderna booster shots serve as protection against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Typically, Americans have to wait six months after their second shot of Pfizer or Moderna's mRNA to be eligible for the follow-up booster. However, FDA reduced the waiting period to five. The new policy is effective for any healthy American aged 18 and above.

Moderna COVID-19 Booster Shot: How Effective Is It Against Omicron?

Any vaccine shot is effective for boosting a person's immune system against hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. However, it should be emphasized that vaccines lose their efficacy after a certain duration.

According to Cnet, people who received two doses of Moderna were at least 50 times less effective at neutralizing the Omicron variant. But 20 weeks after the second dose, the protection decreases efficacy to 10 percent. However, a third booster dose would improve the protection back to 90 percent efficacy. This makes a booster shot critical to American's public safety.

Moderna President Stephen Hoge said their company's booster shots increased "omicron-neutralizing antibodies" by approximately 37-fold. For reference, Pfizer said its booster shots raise antibody levels to 25-fold.

Hoge admitted that the current 50-microgram COVID-19 booster shot is still the same formula used in the first two shots of the Moderna vaccine. However, Hoge emphasized that these shots give "quite respectable" protection against alpha, delta, and even omicron-specific strains.

Who Is Eligible for Moderna COVID-19 Booster Shot?

As previously mentioned, FDA reduced the waiting period between the vaccine and booster shots. Note that this is the only change in the system, and all the previous eligibility requirements remain as it is.

According to Cnet, the booster shot is recommended to all people 18 years old and older. Notably, this age group includes pregnant women. CDC said that "people who are pregnant or recently pregnant are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with people who are not." Fortunately, the researchers emphasized that getting vaccinated does not decrease fertility in women or men.

Be warned that the side effects of Moderna's booster shots are similar to the primary doses. Some might experience pain or swelling on the injection site, while others might feel fatigue, muscle pain, headache, fever, chills, and nausea. In worse cases, the booster shot could cause severe allergic reactions.

How to Get a Moderna Booster Shot Against Omicron

Americans interested in getting their booster shots are recommended to prepare and set their appointment ahead of the date. They can research the nearest vaccine site by texting their ZIP code to the number: 438829. This is a free service backed by CDC, which provides the nearest vaccine location in the area together with the brand and age group available.