MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new report suggests the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines could provide years of protection from the virus. A Memphis infectious disease doctor says this could eliminate the need for boosters for people who are vaxxed.
From tests to vaccinations, COVID developments have happened at a rapid pace, leaving questions in the minds of many when it comes their safety and accuracy, but scientists say the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, also known scientifically as mRNS's, are showing great promise in their performance.
A medical journal called Nature out of the U.K. published the report, which suggest inoculation from those vaccines could last for years if not a lifetime in some people, especially if they were infected, recovered and later vaccinated. The doctor from Washington University who lead the study says the results demonstrated the durability of the both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and they expect results from ongoing test on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine soon.
"And we're just not talking about it being effective for weeks or months. Now, we're really talking about these vaccines being effective for years," said Dr. Manoj Jain.
He's pleased at the results and explains how a study called germinal centers determined the results.
"They took cells from the lymph nodes and they looked at if there was a response in those burly cells to the COVID virus and there was clear protective response, so that means there will protection, again, for years to come," Dr. Jain said.
The study also claims protection against the stronger Delta variant, expected to become the dominant strain of the virus. Dr. Jain urges mass vaccination as a path to eradicating COVID before a dangerous surge.