No evidence that healthy children need COVID boosters, new vaccine for each variant unnecessary: WHO

New Delhi: "There is no evidence right now that healthy children or healthy adolescents need (COVID-19) boosters," World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said.

The statement holds significance as it comes at the time when several nations including the United States, Israel, Germany have started rolling out COVID-19 booster shots for children. India, meanwhile, has on January 3 this year, started administering children between 15 and 18 years with the first dose of vaccine.

Explaining the importance and need of the booster dose, Swaminathan said the effect of vaccines starts diminishing over time against the highly mutant and widely spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19. 

She also said more research is needed to ascertain who needs boosters shots. 

“The aim is to protect the most vulnerable, to protect those at the highest risk of severe disease and death. Those are our elderly populations, immuno-compromised people with underlying conditions, but also healthcare workers," Swaminathan said.

The WHO chief scientist also highlighted that there is no need to manufacture a new vaccine for every new variant of COVID-19. "Rather we must invest in R&D for protective vaccines against all coronaviruses. Academics working on broadly neutralizing antibodies can work with vaccine developers to identify consensus sequences," she added. 

Swaminathan said the vaccines are protecting people against severe illness, hospitalisation and death amid the ongoing pandemic.