Two specialists in infectology and epidemiology explain the latest data regarding the need for another dose of anti-vaccine vaccine in people who have already received two applications. There are countries where they already made that decision.
Will a third dose of vaccine be needed? It is one of the big questions that the medical and scientific community raises worldwide, and although there are already several countries implementing this strategy, the World Health Organization has not given its general technical endorsement.
In the case of El Salvador, the Ministry of Health announced through its head, Francisco Alabi, that they are still evaluating whether to apply this third dose to the population.
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To talk about the topic, El Diario de Avui sought the specialized criteria of doctors Wilfrido Clara, an expert in epidemiology, and Dr. Iván Solano Leiva, a specialist in infectology.
A grandmother receives a dose of anti-vaccine vaccine in the historic center of San Salvador. / Photo EDH
Clara, based in the United States, first clarified that “it is necessary to distinguish between third dose and booster dose, because they are different things.”
In the case of the third dose, it is “to administer to people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, so that they have not been able to develop the amount of antibodies needed for adequate protection, despite having had a complete vaccination schedule.” of two doses.
Immunocompromised people are those who have undergone organ transplantation, or who are taking medications that lower their defenses. They are more likely to have complications from covid-19, so recently the WHO did endorse its full three-dose regimen.
Iris Vásquez, a 35-year-old pregnant citizen, received her vaccine.
Photo EDH / Jessica Orellana
Instead, “when we talk about booster doses, we are talking about an immunocompetent population, meaning that their immune system is fine, that they have received full two-dose vaccination, but that they have been receiving it for some time. So, this protection (against covid-19), which he managed to develop well, is supposed to have diminished over time. This is where we are talking about a reinforcement, “explained Clara.
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There are no conclusive studies of how long immunity lasts after the two vaccines received and it depends on each pharmaceutical company, but Clarà commented that some data “suggest that this immunity would have been declining, in the case of Pfizer and Moderna, after eight months after receiving the second dose.With Sinovac, there are data that speak of six to 8 months.In general, although it is not very clear, we could say that this level declines after 8 months.There are still assessments that are being done, more data is being expected, no conclusive information “.