As governments are requesting locals to take vaccine and booster doses, health officials released a statement saying that the third booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines can provide higher protection against omicron variants. The latest study showed that the chances of getting infected by the omicron variant increase after two months of the second dose. Without the booster dose, it is found that the effectiveness of protection against covid drops by 30 percent within three months and by 50 percent within six months.
Everything That You Need To Know About Booster Dose
According to Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner, before taking up a booster shot after testing positive to Covid-19, people should wait for at least 10 days, as the person could be infectious.
She added that even if someone survived Covid-19 who may possess high antibodies now, even then it is still recommended to take a booster shot, as the covid surge is high. She went on to add that it’s not necessary to take a PCR test after having covid to take a booster shot. She recommended the people who have taken Johnson & Johnson vaccine to take an mRNA booster shot as it is said to give maximum protection. She said that the studies conducted by them have shown that after J&J vaccination, taking Pfizer or Moderna as a second dose is recommended as it would increase the antibodies. She added if people have taken Pfizer or Moderna it doesn’t matter what they boost with, but it’s highly recommended to boost with Pfizer or Moderna after J&J.
Major drug companies have started working on producing effective vaccines against Omicron. Pfizer announced that they are working on vaccines that attack specifically the omicron variant, which is expected to be released by March, and they have started producing the doses, said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer. Borla said on a press meet they are unsure about the need for a fourth dose and that they have been conducting experiments to know if it is necessary to take the fourth dose. Moderna is said to be working on a booster shot that works effectively on the omicron variant of Covid-19. Stephen Bancel said that they have been discussing with health officials across the world to come up with the best strategy for an effective booster by the end of 2022. Bancel said that as the effectiveness of the booster against Covid-19 decreases over the month, it may be necessary to take on the fourth dose to increase the protection. He said a booster is necessary for better protection against the omicron, as the chances of falling severely ill are less. This winter most people have been staying indoors, so people who have taken boosters recently are less likely to fall ill.
Israel is said to have produced the fourth dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine and made it available to people with less immunity and health care workers. The fourth dose is being given to people near the age of 60, as their immune system is weak. They found that taking the fourth dose as an effective measure increases the antibodies against the virus by five times after taking the shot.
The U.S. government requested the people to take a booster dose if they are eligible. As the number of people infected has been rising, taking a booster dose is said to be the best way to avoid severe illness. Anyone after the age of 12 is advised to take a booster dose. The Illinois Department of Public Health has asked people between the ages of 12 – 15 to wait at least five months before taking a booster dose.
