Credit: State of Minnesota
Vaccination of as many Minnesota people as soon as possible has been hampered by the federal government’s limited supply of doses, which is why some medical experts recommend delaying the second dose of the vaccine.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, is among experts who believe that delaying the second dose would help vaccinate vulnerable populations in time.
There are three approved vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, and all require two doses to achieve the full effectiveness of the vaccine. A quarter, from Johnson & Johnson, only requires one dose, but has not yet been approved.
Still, Osterholm says the first dose provides enough short-term protection to justify delaying the second doses and using them to provide a first dose in addition to Minnesota’s 65-year-old population.
“I think the data will support that it’s actually a very effective path,” Osterholm told the Minnesota House Finance and Health Policy Committee.
Osterholm said the first dose provides “remarkable protection” that can even improve as time goes on. He noted that a recent study on the AstraZeneca vaccine showed that a single dose provided the same level of protection for the first 90 days, in addition to maintaining the level of antibodies for at least 90 days.
“We have every reason to believe that as time goes on, it can be even more effective,” Osterholm said.
Sign up: Subscribe to our breaking newsletters
As of Feb. 2, Minnesota has administered 475,200 people at least one dose of the vaccine. Of these, 177,632 were people aged 65 or over.
Osterholm, who is part of the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 advisory committee, said the new variants, specifically the B.1.1.7 strain first confirmed in the UK, pose a significant threat to the United States in the United States. next months.
“I think the darkest days of the pandemic are yet to come,” he said.
Osterholm has consistently stated that he expects the strain to become dominant and wreak havoc in the United States over the next six to 14 weeks, which is why providing a dose versus two doses would give Minnesota’s most vulnerable populations a chance to have some level of protection against any if the virus increases again.