Last month, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky hinted that the definition of fully vaccinated would likely be updated “in the future” to mean those who have also received their booster shot.
The UK, however, seems there already, though Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not give a specific date.
"It's very clear that getting three jabs, getting your booster, will become an important fact and it will make life easier for you in all sorts of ways," Johnson said at a news conference.
"We will have to adjust our concept of what constitutes a full vaccination to take account of that, and I think that is increasingly obvious."
In his case for booster shots, Johnson acknowledged that "two jabs, sadly, do start to wane."
Boris Johnson: "The booster massively increases your protection, taking it right back up to over 90%. The two jabs, sadly, do start to wane.
— talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) November 16, 2021
"We've got to be responsible and reflect that fact in the way we measure what constitutes full vaccination." pic.twitter.com/EkwsryhVTT
We know vaccine immunity weakens over time, so it’s vital that you come forward and #GetBoosted when you can. pic.twitter.com/XzeYmOUN7c
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 15, 2021
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A Downing Street source said it was inevitable that requirements for the digital Covid pass would need to change for travel as more countries began requiring a third dose. Currently booster doses are not displayed on the Covid pass on the NHS app, which has caused some concern over the use of the pass for travel. [...]
Johnson said the government was “making plans to add the booster to the NHS Covid travel pass.” He added: “If you’re thinking about that, then this is yet another reason to get it done.” (The Guardian)
If booster shots for adults continue to be recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, they could be required in England by spring, according to The Guardian.
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