Here’s yet another reason to stay on top of your COVID vaccine boosters

If the effects don’t fade too rapidly, new data suggests regular COVID-19 vaccinations could strengthen our immune systems against future variants and even related viruses. This is on top of the proven protection they already provide against current infections. With thousands of people still being hospitalized each day, more and more of us battling long COVID, and new variants continuing to rapidly emerge, this is hopeful news. “These data suggest that if these cross-reactive antibodies do not rapidly wane – we would need to follow their levels over time to know for certain – they may confer some or even substantial protection against a pandemic caused by a related coronavirus,” explains Washington University immunologist Michael Diamond. Other vaccinations, such as those for the flu, are not necessarily made more effective by booster shots. Initial vaccinations prompt our immune system to create antibodies to recognize and fight an invasive virus. The details of the...