Boosters Become Big Pharma Free-for-All With More Shots Coming (1)

The omicron wave is finally on the decline in the U.S. Workers are returning to offices again, hospital wards are emptying, and states have lifted mask mandates. But a new strain, BA.2, has spread widely in Europe and is growing in prevalence in the U.S. And Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. have now asked U.S. regulators to clear an additional Covid-19 booster as protection provided by the first three shots fades.

While the vaccines at first were remarkably good at preventing Covid infections, successive mutations and the passage of time have rendered the shots less effective. The boosters ...