COVID-19 vaccine boosters could potentially be needed annually, Moderna chairman says

Moderna co-founder and chairman Noubar Areyan indicated during an interview with Maria Bartiromo that COVID-19 vaccine boosters could potentially be needed annually.

"And so we just don't know how this virus is going to travel from being a pandemic all the way to potentially an endemic virus we have to get used to living with," said Areyan, the founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering.

"If that's where it ends up ... it may well need a, an annual booster, potentially varying ... on a year to year or every few years basis as the virus varies, a little similarly to what, what we do with the flu vaccine. And so, I think if we end up there, there will be a continuous need for boosting," Areyan said.

Moderna says COVID booster, like flu vaccine, could be yearlyyoutu.be

Many in the U.S. are currently eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine boosters and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that when obtaining a booster people can choose to get a vaccine other than the one they received for their initial vaccination.

"There are now booster recommendations for all three available COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose," according to the CDC. "Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC's recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots."

Last week Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky indicated that the definition of what it means to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could potentially be altered at some point in the future.

"Right now we don't have booster eligibility for all people currently," Walensky said. "We have not yet changed the definition of fully vaccinated. We will continue to look at this. We may need to update our definition of fully vaccinated in the future. But right now what I would say is, if you're eligible for a booster, go ahead and get your booster, and we will continue to follow."