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The topic of the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine keeps coming back. In the face of the spreading Delta variant – more and more often. From August, Israel plans to vaccinate people over 60 with a third dose. Due to the increase in infections, Spain is considering its administration. Meanwhile, Pfizer provided data on the effectiveness of the booster dose, not only on the Delta variant. As it turned out?
- On July 28, Pfizer reported that after the third dose, levels of anti-Delta antibodies were more than five times higher than after the second dose. This data has not yet been verified
- CNN notes that it is unclear whether the increased levels of antibodies actually correlate with better protection, or whether this additional protection is needed.
- In Israel, from August 1, a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to people over 60 years of age. Hungary is also to introduce a booster dose
- There is currently no evidence as to whether the third dose helps, and if so who needs it and when
- WHO Urges Governments Not to Order Extra Doses of Vaccines While Poorer Countries Still Not Receiving Doses Until the First Round of Vaccination
- More important information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Fear of the Delta variant and new Pfizer data on the effectiveness of the third dose
The Delta variant “is faster, more agile and more effective in targeting vulnerable people than previous variants,” WHO’s Dr. Mike Ryan warned a few weeks ago. According to the organization’s data, the Delta variant has already reached 124 countries. The WHO warns that Delta will dominate the world over the next month. This information is very worrying. The issue of the third – booster – dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which would provide better protection against the Delta variant, is also increasingly returning.
Pfizer recently reported that it is “already in talks with regulators” about its booster dose and wants to apply for an emergency license in the US in August.
What’s more, on July 28, the company published a report for the second quarter, in which it also announced the effects of the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Data released by Pfizer suggest that it may “strongly” enhance protection against the Delta variant. In people aged 18-55, the levels of antibodies against this mutation were more than five times higher after the third dose of the vaccine than after the second dose. In seniors aged 65 to 85, this level was more than 11 times higher than after the second dose. 23 people participated in the study. As noted by CNN’s Jacqueline Howard, these figures have yet to be verified.
However, Dr. Mikael Dolsten, a physician and president of Pfizer’s research and medical development department, admitted that “these preliminary data are very encouraging as Delta continues to spread”. It is worth mentioning that the data provided by Pfizer also showed that the booster dose provided high protection against the original coronavirus variant and the Beta strain, which was first detected in South Africa.
On the other hand, CNN emphasizes that it is not clear whether the increased levels of antibodies actually correlate with better protection, or whether this additional protection is needed. “The US agency CDC (a leading global organization fighting epidemics – editor’s note) claims that current vaccines protect people well against all common variants.”
Which countries already offer the third dose of the vaccine?
Some countries where the epidemic is worsening again are considering introducing a booster dose. This is the case in Spain. Carolina Darias, the head of the health ministry of this country informed about it on 23 July. As she emphasized, the third dose of the preparation against the coronavirus would be “supporting” the entire vaccination process. “A third dose seems inevitable,” she added.
There are countries that already offer a booster dose. They have been approved by the authorities of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Israel gives a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine to adults with a weak immune system. From August 1, it will be available to people over 60. An additional vaccination campaign is to help fight the spreading Delta variant. It is worth quoting the opinions of some Israeli experts commenting on this step.
As The Times of Israel notes, they are not convinced that another injection of the vaccine will help, although they usually agree that it will not do any harm. – Maybe they will not benefit, but also (these doses – editor’s note) will not do any harm – said epidemiologist, prof. Michael Edelstein. Immunologist, prof. Jonathan Gershoni “was not convinced of the urgency” of such a step, but also noted that “if vaccines are available, additional protection for those over 60 should be beneficial and increase their ability to deal with the Delta variant”.
Also in Hungary, from August 1, the possibility of vaccination with the third dose against COVID-19 will be introduced. It is to apply primarily to the elderly, obese, suffering from autoimmune and chronic diseases. The Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babisz, also recently commented on this topic. He said that even before the start of the school year, it should be clear whether the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered in the country. People from risk groups, such as the elderly or immunocompromised, could be specific.
Will there be a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Poland?
What is Poland’s position on the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines? Will it be necessary? The Minister of Health was asked about the third dose at a press conference organized on July 22. According to PAP, Adam Niedzielski said that when it comes to this, he does not anticipate such a situation.
On July 12, the spokesman of the Ministry of Health, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, commented on the subject. When asked in RMF FM about possible recommendations for the administration of a third dose, he replied: – There are no tests for today, there is nothing to talk about. In his opinion “there is more Piarist in this area today”.
This is in line with the position of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that it is too early to decide whether more than two doses will be required and that the established regimen is sufficient. Simply put, it has not yet been proven whether the third dose helps and if so who needs it and when.
Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.
WHO is calling for no booster doses to be ordered and why
While some countries are already giving a third dose and others are considering it, The World Health Organization urges governments not to order additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines. For still poorer countries did not receive doses until the first round of vaccination was carried out.
At an online briefing held on July 12, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recalled that worldwide deaths from coronavirus are rising again and the Delta variant becomes dominant, meanwhile many countries have not yet received enough vaccines to protect, for example, medical workers.
– The global COVID-19 vaccine supply gap is (…) unfair. Some countries and regions are now ordering millions of booster doses before other countries have supplies to vaccinate their health workers and the most vulnerable, he stressed. The head of the WHO named the vaccine producers Pfizer and Moderna as companies that aim to provide booster vaccines to countries where vaccination levels are already high. Tedros believes they should instead refer them to COVAX, a program that makes vaccines available to middle-income and poorer countries.
The head of the WHO crisis program, Mike Ryan, was straightforward: “ We currently condemn hundreds of millions of people to lack of protection against the coronavirus. We will look back with anger and shame if countries use valuable booster doses of vaccines while elsewhere vulnerable people continue to die of lack of vaccines.
At the meeting, WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, emphasized that the World Health Organization did not yet have evidence that booster vaccinations were necessary for those who had received a full course of vaccines. And while booster doses may one day be necessary, there is no evidence of this yet. “This has to be based on science and data and not on individual companies declaring that their vaccines need to be given as a booster,” she said.
You may be interested in:
- Are you vaccinated? According to the WHO, you may not notice you have the Delta mutation
- I already had COVID-19. Can I get Delta? [WE EXPLAIN]
- COVID-19. The best and the least vaccinated communes in Poland. One thing stands out
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