Do I need a booster vaccination?

Vaccines are known to be highly effective. For measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, about 95 out of 100 people vaccinated will be completely immune. However, it is often necessary to administer booster vaccinations over time, in order to ensure a subject is still immune to infection. The timing of booster vaccination administration is generally determined during vaccine development and it can take a great deal of time and effort to determine when booster vaccinations should appropriately be administered. Such knowledge is then used universally in vaccine administration programs, without knowing if an individual actually needs a booster and/or if the timing of the booster administration is optimal for the individual.

I therefore read with interest a report (https://www.genomeweb.com/infectious-disease/blood-test-stanford-led-team-could-predict-vaccine-durability) that discussed work carried out and lead by a team at Stamford University looking at the possibility of developing a blood test that may be able to predict the durability of a vaccine and hence when a booster should be administered. Not only could such a blood test facilitate and speed up vaccine development, but it may also allow more individualized dosing regimes to be adopted, so as to ensure each individual is given a booster vaccination at the most appropriate time. 

I look forward to seeing how this work develops and if improvements to booster vaccination administration ensue.