If the new COVID-19 variant is resistant to immunity, are vaccines and boosters worth it?

COVID-19 cases are rising in Boise. The BA.5 variant is reinfecting people who’ve had COVID in the past, and local health officials are warning the community that the risk of catching this virus in public is much higher than it was a few months ago.

The variant may be able to better evade the antibodies caused by previous infection or vaccines, and built-up immunity in your body may not be able to prevent infection if you’ve already had it.

Is getting the vaccine still worth it?

Niki Forbing-Orr, spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, told the Idaho Statesman it’s still important to get vaccinated and boosted even if the new variant is resistant to immunity. The vaccines are still effective for avoiding severe illness and death from COVID-19.

Forbing-Orr also said that besides getting vaccinated and boosted, practicing physical distancing and wearing masks in crowded places will protect you from severe illness and hospitalization.

BA.5 is a variant of Omicron, which in itself is a variant of COVID-19 that spreads more quickly, Idaho state epidemiologist Christine Hahn previously said. Despite a quicker spread, Forbing-Orr said vaccinations and boosters are the most effective way to limit your risk of sickness and severe illness.

So even if you can still get infected with COVID-19 after being vaccinated, your chances of getting sick enough to need to go to the hospital are lower. Most importantly, Forbing-Orr said that those who feel ill should remain at home until they feel better.

Should you wait for the new vaccine or get boosted now?

Even if you’ve had COVID-19 before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting vaccinated and boosted to provide added protection to your immune system.

Given the rising number of infections in Boise, you should go ahead and get that booster now if you’re eligible.

A Food and Drug Administration meeting in late June discussed the possibility of releasing reformulated vaccines this fall that could be more effective against newer variants. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer also announced that it has a new formula that better protects against the more recent variants.

“We believe we have two very strong Omicron-adapted candidates that elicit a substantially higher immune response against Omicron than we’ve seen to date,” Albert Boula, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, said in a news release. “We look forward to discussing these data with the scientific community and health authorities so we may rapidly introduce an Omicron-adapted booster as soon as possible if authorized by regulators.”

If you are up-to-date with the recommended booster vaccines, more information may be available this fall about reformulated vaccines that could be more effective against newer variants.

How else should people protect against COVID-19?

Kathryn Turner, Idaho’s deputy state epidemiologist, reminded Idahoans in a post on the Department of Health and Welfare website that people should continue meeting with friends and family outdoors this summer to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“If you’re indoors, open doors and windows to keep air flowing,” Turner wrote. “Consider wearing masks indoors when it’s crowded or if you can’t spread out, especially if you are around people at higher risk for severe disease.”

Turner also emphasized that masks continue to work and that people should strive to use well-fitting disposable KN95 or N95 masks rather than woven cloth masks. The CDC provides an interactive map that tells you where you can obtain free N95 masks.