The Covid-19 virus may reach its endemic stage after a while, just like influenza, and vulnerable populations may have to take the vaccine shot annually. According to Samiran Panda, Head, Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Covid-19, is expected to gradually become an endemic from its current state of a pandemic.
Panda said, that mutation is normal for all viruses when they proliferate, so vulnerable populations may have to take the vaccine shot annually, adding that minor changes will have to be made in the vaccine formulations simultaneously.
Panda explained that the vaccines are not infection preventing, but disease-modifying. Experiments at the ICMR have proved that the vaccines presently available in India are effective against the new Covid variants as well. However, the efficacy may differ for different strains.