• World Health Organization (WHO) advisors update guidance saying healthy adults do not need yearly COVID booster shots
• The revised guidance comes in contract with proposed plans by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• WHO is looking for new vaccines with a better performance against new variants of the coronavirus

Advisors with the World Health Organization (WHO) said that healthy adults do not need COVID-19 boosters yearly and recommended prioritizing the elderly, pregnant people, and individuals with underlying health conditions.

The updated guidance contrasts with the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed plans. The latter suggests that treating COVID-19 boosters as annual flu shots should be done for the foreseeable future.

COVID-19 Booster Shots for Adults

Last May, in a viewpoint published in JAMA, Peter Marks, the FDA's top vaccine regulator, along with Robert Califf, the FDA commissioner, and Janet Woodcock, the FDA's principal deputy commissioner, claimed that yearly COVID booster campaigns in the fall would protect health care systems, preventing them from being overwhelmed by patients, as per Ars Technica.

During a Tuesday press briefing, WHO advisors said that the benefit of boosting people who are considered low- to medium-risk is "actually quite marginal." They also suggested that countries should consider rolling back from offering primary COVID-19 vaccination series to low-risk healthy children and teens.

The chair of the WHO's advisory groups, Hanna Nohynek, said that the updated guidance reflects that much of the population is either vaccinated or had previously been infected by the coronavirus.

However, the revised guidance also noted that vaccinating people at risk of severe disease is essential, especially for most older adults and people with underlying health conditions.

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Protection Against COVID-19

In September last year, the WHO said the end of the COVID-19 pandemic era was "in sight." According to Yahoo News, the new recommendations also come as many countries have started to take different approaches regarding the health crisis.

Some nations, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, have started offering people at high risk of COVID-19 booster shots this spring, which must be taken at least six months after their last dose.

The Strategic Group of Experts on immunization of the WHO also called for immediate actions to catch up on routine vaccinations that were missed during the health crisis. They also warned of an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles starting to spread to various regions.

WHO vaccines chief Kate O'Brien added that because of the Omicron variant, existing vaccines provide excellent immunity but do not provide lasting performance against mild disease or infection.

The global health agency is now looking for new COVID-19 vaccines that can cover a broad spectrum of variants, have longer durability, and provide better protection against infection and transmission.

O'Brien added that the WHO is also looking for vaccines that move on from injection methods and ultra-cold chain storage. Al Jazeera said the official cited nasal, oral, and skin patches as new vaccine methods that could be used as alternatives to what is currently being done.

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