United States health authorities warned of
declining efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines as they unveiled plans to offer booster
shots to all Americans amid a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other authorities advised the booster
dose should be administered eight months after taking the second dose of the
Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

America could start administering booster doses from September 20, AP reported.

“Our plan is to protect the American
people, to stay ahead of this virus,” a statement from CDC Director Dr Rochelle
Walensky read.

Also Read | US witnesses winter COVID wave-like hospitalisation, owing to Delta variant

A statement from top officials stated it
was “very clear” that the protection against COVID-19 provided from the vaccines
decreases over time and with the rapid spread of the more contagious Delta
variant, “we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild
and moderate disease”.

“Based on our latest assessment, the
current protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death could
diminish in the months ahead,” the statement read.

Officials also that people inoculated with
the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine might also require a booster dose,
although they are waiting for more data to for a confirmation.

The plan for booster doses remains subject
to a clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which will evaluate
the safety and efficacy of a third dose.

While some experts, like Dr Mark Mulligan
of NYU’s Langone Health centre, welcomed the move as a “proactive” measure in
light of fading efficacy, top World Health Organisation (WHO) scientists objected to
the plan, saying that poorer countries are yet to administer first doses.

“We’re planning to hand out extra life
jackets to people who already have life jackets, while we’re leaving other
people to drown without a single life jacket,” Dr Michael Ryan, WHO’s
emergencies chief, said.

Also Read | Delta variant unable to evade antibodies generated by vaccination: Study

Soumya Swaminathan, the UN health watchdog’s
chief scientist, said, “We believe clearly that the data does not indicate that
boosters are needed” for everyone.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen
Psaki said that the question of whether to help other nations or hand out
booster doses is a “false choice. We can do both”.

She said the US is “far and away” the
biggest contributor to the global fight against COVID-19 and will “continue to
be the arsenal for vaccines” to the world. She added that the U.S. has enough
vaccine for dispense boosters to the American people.