Fourth dose of vaccine, is it useful or not against the Omicron variant? The European Medicines Agency Ema warns about boosters, given at very short intervals: could have the opposite effect than desired e reduce the level of antibodiesinstead, than increase them.
A position not fully shared by Israel moving forward with the fourth dose. Some people with the fourth dose of the vaccine, reveals the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Health Nachman Ash, have been infected with the Omicron variant. The protection from serious illness, he adds, “especially for the elderly and the population at risk works with the fourth dose, so I still invite you to come and get vaccinated”.
In Israel, the fourth dose is given to medical personnel, frail people and over 60s. The ‘booster bis’ does not appear to provide much additional protection against Omicron variant infection than the third dose.
“The growth in antibody levels that we see with Moderna and Pfizer is slightly higher than what we have seen after the third dose of the vaccine,” says Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, who conducted research on the subject.
“Despite the increase in the level of antibodies, the fourth dose offers only a partial defense against the virus – explains the professor – We have seen many people infected with Omicron after the fourth dose. A little less than in the control group, but still many. “.
The teacher stressed that the study is still at the preliminary stage and for this reason not all the data have been disclosed. The research was conducted on 150 people who received a fourth dose of Pfizer 2 weeks ago. Another 120, who had taken three Pfizer doses, received a fourth dose of Moderna a week ago.
This is the first research on the fourth dose also conducted with the combination of different vaccines, but the results of the two groups after a week appear very similar.
FOURTH VULNERABLE DOSE
The EMA “has not yet viewed the data on the fourth dose” of the anti-covid vaccine. “Currently, there is no evidence of the need for a fourth dose in the general population,” said Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccines at the European Medicines Agency EMA. “In people with severely weakened immune systems and that they have already received three doses, it would be reasonable for the health authorities to consider administering a fourth dose “advises Cavaleri.
MODERN AND OMICRON DATA
The first data on the Moderna vaccine relating to the efficacy of the Omicron variant should arrive in March. That will be the month in which, said company CEO Séphane Bancel, “we should be able to have data to share with the authorities to understand the next step forward”. “For two years we have literally all worked together seven days a week to figure out how to fight this common enemy which is the virus. The enemy is not another company or another group. The enemy has always been and will always be the virus alone.” .
“At the moment there is no proof that the fourth dose is needed. Science will tell if it will be used, when and to whom”, says the Undersecretary of Health, Pierpaolo Sileri, to Cartabianca. “I took the virus, I had 2 doses: then I shouldn’t have the third dose, because it would be the fourth. Instead I’m going to do it,” he says.
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