Americans have been reluctant to get the updated boosters rolled out by
The immune response wasn’t as strong against this alphabet soup of newer mutants as it is against the BA.5 strain. But adults 55 and older experienced a nearly 9-fold jump in antibodies against BQ.1.1 a month after receiving the updated booster, according to a study from the
The preliminary data was released online and hasn’t yet been vetted by independent experts.
It’s not the only hint that the updated boosters may broaden protection against the still mutating virus.
It’s too soon to know how much real-world protection such antibody boosts translate into, or how long it will last. Antibodies are only one type of immune defense, and they naturally wane with time.
The BA.5 variant was responsible for about 30% of new cases in the
The original COVID-19 vaccines have offered strong protection against severe disease and death no matter the variant.
That's a good reason to stay up-to-date on boosters, Dr.
"Any kind of boost really reduces your chances of getting very sick from COVID,” she said.
Updated boosters are available for anyone 5 or older, but only about 35 million Americans have gotten one so far, according to the
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