Third dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This you need to know [GUIDE]

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From November 2, the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can be given to anyone over 18 years of age. Why is additional COVID-19 vaccination being used? How many Poles accepted it? Who can get vaccinated already, who else will wait? How to sign up? What kind of vaccine will we get? Which one turns out to be the best? Finally, what about the side effects after the third dose? We present the answers in our guide.

1. On November 2, 2021, immunization with a booster dose began for all persons aged 18 years and over and completed the vaccination course
2. A booster dose can be given to people with at least six months since the last dose
3. – We are XNUMX% sure that the third dose increases the body’s immunity, which decreases after six months after full vaccination, and on the other hand, its administration is also safe – emphasizes the head of the Ministry of Health.
4. How can you sign up for a vaccination? What preparation will you get? What side effects may occur? You will find the answers in our guide
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Why do I need booster doses of vaccines?

Although the immune system remembers the “enemy” that enters the body through the vaccine, in some cases it may require a booster dose. It is related to the phenomenon of weakening immunity. It is perfectly normal as not all vaccines are lifelong preparations. In a word, the purpose of administering the next dose of the vaccine is to improve, consolidate and extend the protection. In the case of people with weakened immunity – achieving optimal protection.

– We are XNUMX% sure that the third dose increases the body’s immunity, which decreases after six months after full vaccination, and on the other hand, its administration is also safe – emphasizes Minister Niedzielski.

1. More in the article: Why is it necessary to give booster doses of vaccines? [WE EXPLAIN]

Booster dose and booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine. How are they different?

A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is given to vaccinated people who have completed the full course of vaccination. Initially, it could be accepted by people over 50 and healthcare professionals who had direct contact with patients. From November 2, all persons over 18 years of age are vaccinated with a booster dose. According to the latest data, it was adopted by 1 million 182 thousand. 809 people.

An additional booster dose, called the third dose (this term is often used, however, to describe any dose after a full vaccination course, which can be confusing) is given to immunocompromised people whose immune response to vaccination may not be sufficient. The following persons are eligible for additional injection: receiving active anti-cancer treatment, after organ transplantation taking immunosuppressive drugs or biological therapies, after stem cell transplant within the last two years, with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency syndromes, with HIV infection, currently treated with high doses corticosteroids or other drugs that can suppress the immune response, chronically dialysed for renal failure. It is known that 295 people have accepted it so far.

Who can get the next dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

On November 2, vaccinations began with a booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older who received a full vaccination schedule (two doses) with Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderny, AstraZeneca or one dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

What is essential is that a booster dose is given to people who are at least six months after completing the full COVID-19 immunization schedule. In the case of immunocompromised people, a minimum of 28 days must pass from the last dose.

1. Third dose of COVID-19 vaccine. When is the best time to accept, when to hold off?

Third dose. How can I register for vaccination?

From November 2, a referral for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is issued to all adult citizens who have been six months since the last dose. As the Minister of Health explained in Radio Zet, anyone who meets this condition can check in their patient’s online account whether they have a referral and arrange a vaccination date in a specific place. – Yes, as it has worked so far, because this system is assessed very well by Poles – emphasized Adam Niedzielski.

In the absence of an automatically issued e-referral, the doctor at the vaccination point may independently issue an e-referral, assessing the interval from the last vaccination.

The rest of the article under the video.

Third dose. What preparation will I be vaccinated with?

In people vaccinated with a booster dose, the following vaccines can be used: Pfizer-BioNTech in the full dose of 0,3 ml and Moderny – half dose: 50 µg – 0,25 ml, with the first administration of the vaccine determined by the primary vaccination.

More information about which vaccine you will receive can be found HERE.

When it comes to booster vaccination, it is recommended to use Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna preparations, with the first vaccine being administered as determined by the primary vaccination. As emphasized by the Ministry of Health, there are currently insufficient data to support the administration of the next dose in people with immunodeficiency vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson.

1. More in the article: Are you going for the third dose? Check with what preparation you will be vaccinated

The third dose of the vaccine. Which preparation is the best?

There is no clear answer to this question. This issue was explained by Bartosz Fiałek. – The most effective vaccine is the one with the highest efficacy (preferably at the level of 100%), but also the best effectiveness, i.e. the lowest NNV. The lowest number of people who should be vaccinated to avoid this one case of COVID-19, the doctor explained. – So we have two efficiencies, the second of which is variable. Therefore, we cannot say which vaccine will be the best because it will actually change all the time. It is a dynamic phenomenon.

– We know, however, that every vaccine against COVID-19 available in Poland is effective and safe. They are effective against new variants of SARS-CoV-2, protect against the mild and moderate course of COVID-19, also against severe complications or death. So there is no point in choosing – notes the medic.

On the other hand, research has emerged to suggest that mixing mRNA vaccines has worked well. The results of the work carried out by the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) have also appeared recently. They looked at what happened when a fully vaccinated person received a booster dose from the same or a different manufacturer. It turned out that the highest number of antibodies was observed in people who took three full doses of Moderna. In second place was a combination of two doses of Pfizer and one full dose of Moderna.

It is worth emphasizing that the full dose of Moderna was taken into account in the study, not half, as is the case in Poland. Moreover, this and no other result of the research could also be influenced by the individual differences between the participants.

1. More in the article: Which vaccine for the third dose? What combination is the most effective?

Side effects from the next dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

The side effects after the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are similar to those that occurred after the second dose, the US agency CDC reported in September. The most common side effects of the third dose are pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. The axillary lymph nodes were also swollen after the third dose of the mRNA vaccines, namely Pfizer and Moderna. As noted by the FDA, this symptom was reported more frequently after a booster dose of the vaccine than after the first – two-dose – series.

Doctors remind that swelling of the lymph nodes as a result of vaccination is temporary, harmless and, importantly, that the vaccine is working. ‘The enlarged lymph nodes are proof that the vaccine does exactly what our body needs: it boosts the immune response, builds up an army of antibodies,’ explained Dr. Connie Lehman, professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, on CNN. More about swollen lymph nodes after the third dose.

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