Why We Can’t ‘Boost’ Our Way out of the COVID-19 Pandemic for the Long Term

A display seen at a protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates for students, in Huntington Beach, California on January 3, 2022. Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

With yet another COVID-19 booster available for vulnerable populations in the U.S., many people find themselves wondering what the end game will be.

The mRNA vaccines currently used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been successful at preventing hospitalization and death. However, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections – cases of COVID-19 infection that occur in people who are fully vaccinated.