Will we have to be vaccinated every 6 months against coronavirus?

Question

Booster immunizations are needed because the number of antibodies in the blood decreases over time. In mRNA vaccines, this usually occurs about six months after the first immunization against Covid-19. And for other vaccines, such as Johnson & Johnson's single dose, the Standing Immunization Commission in Germany recommends that the booster dose be given even earlier.

But will it still be the same from now on? Should we get a booster vaccine every six months or every fall, as in the future? Physicians do not yet have an answer to this question, as they need more experience. And different aspects need to be taken into account: for example, that new variants of the coronavirus will appear in the future, to which vaccines will have to be adapted - again as with the flu.

The other important issue is that of group immunity. Will we be able to achieve it soon? And will this be done through vaccination or through unintentional mass infection, as is still the case in large parts of Africa? In the context of the current high levels of new infections, could something similar happen in Europe?