The booster dose is said to be partially effective against Omicron infections; there are cases of people who have taken the booster dose but are still infected. Major vaccine companies like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna are working on knowing if the 4th dose of vaccine will be effective against Omicron.
Israel’s Study On 4th Dose – Insufficient Against Omicron
Studies conducted by them showed that the 4th dose of vaccine increases the antibodies in our body to a large extent but still it is unsure whether it is 100 % effective against Corona. Israel conducted a trial and announced that the 4th dose of Pfizer is insufficient to prevent infection from the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
After a two weeks trial of 154 medical personnel with Pfizer and 100 medical personnel with Moderna for one week, researchers from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv concluded that 4th dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine can increase antibodies, more than the amount with the 3rd dose. But it is still not enough to protect against infections from Omicron. The test results were compared with a group that did not receive the 4th dose. She added that there was no significant difference between Pfizer’s or Moderna’s booster doses.
Dr. Gilli Regev Yochay, the director of the Infection Prevention and Control Unit said that the results that were announced are preliminary, and the reason to announce them before publishing them is to let the public know any information possible about the 4th dose. She added that the current vaccine only offers partial protection against Omicron. Vaccines that were said to offer better protection against other variants of Covid-19 are found to be insufficient against Omicron. The people involved in the trial who took the 4th dose showed slight or mild symptoms of Covid or none at all.
European Union regulators warned that Covid-19 shots can weaken the existing immune system. Even before the actual trial, Israel vaccinated the old people whose immunity was compromised around December with a 4th dose. Until now, half a million Israelis received the extra dose, according to the Health Ministry. Regev Yochay considered that it was the right decision to give the 4th dose of vaccination to people whose immunity is low, because it may have helped them to fight against the Omicron, but it is not recommended to give it to the whole population.
The outbreak in America hasn’t come to an end yet, as Health officials made an announcement that taking the 3rd dose was found to increase the antibodies on a large scale compared to what was seen in the second dose. Even if the 4th dose is found to be insufficient, it is recommended to take a 3rd booster dose, as it proved to be effective against Omicron compared to the people who took only two doses. Clinics for booster dose have increased across the nation and also to get initial two vaccinations. Even though perfect vaccination against Omicron has not been found yet, the guidance released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is the best one to avoid getting infected. The Government has reduced the 6 month waiting period to 5 to take the 3rd booster dose after the second one. They requested that whoever is eligible to take the 3rd dose, that is above the age of 12 to get one as early as possible. Children between the age of 5 to 12 were asked to wait for at least 28 days before taking a booster dose. CDC has asked people who have taken the J & J vaccine to take either Pfizer or Moderna booster dose, as it is found to be more effective and increase antibodies on a large scale.
