France slashes booster interval even shorter
French health officials are urging residents to receive Covid-19 vaccine booster shots just three months after their last dose, shaving down the prior five-month guideline even further than proposed.
The new guidance came on Friday from the French National Authority for Health, shortening the recommended time frame for boosters by two months in order to strengthen immunity as Omicron infections are on the rise.
The health body cited research indicating that available vaccines offer around 80% protection for up to two months, but plummet down to just 34% by the four-month mark, also noting that immunity appears to wane more quickly with the newer viral strain.
However, protection for patients who received boosters was seen to jolt back up to 75% within two weeks of the additional dose, the agency said, suggesting the increased immune response could help to ward off another wave of infections.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex had previously announced that, starting early next year, boosters would be permitted four months after a recipient’s last dose, with Friday’s decision cutting that period down even further.
In addition to shortening the interval for boosters, officials also determined that teens considered at higher risk from the virus may receive an extra shot.
Both decisions come days after France authorized Covid shots for children aged five and older, following in the footsteps of many Western nations which have approved the vaccine for younger age groups.
France marked a new national daily case record earlier this week, smashing a previous peak set in November 2020 with more than 91,000 infections over a single day. However, the new high also corresponded with increased testing around the country, according to the AFP, meaning the relatively high figures could be a result of additional screenings as well as a real surge in the outbreak.
