Fourth COVID-19 Shot? See Why Medical Professionals Are Skeptical

Medical professionals are undecided on whether a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine would benefit the wider population, as countries are beginning to offer the fourth dose to vulnerable groups.
The decisions follow an Israel study that found that a fourth dose of the Pfizer Inc PFE - BioNTech SE BNTX vaccine offers short-lived protection against serious illness.
The medical consensus so far is that there hasn’t been enough research on how much protection a fourth dose can offer.
Related: FDA Authorizes Fourth Dose Of Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines For Older People.
The World Health Organization hasn’t given an official recommendation on a fourth dose, and “there isn’t any good evidence at this point of time” that it will be beneficial, said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan.
Questions are being raised over the need for more booster shots as the emergence of more Covid variants may require more targeted vaccines.
In January, Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, told NBC News that people may need to get booster shots every year or two.
It is possible that high-risk groups — such as the elderly — may need an annual vaccine, said Swaminathan. But “it’s not clear whether a healthy adult will need a regular annual shot.”
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