All the answers to practical questions: what is expected for teachers, for those who have vaccinated abroad and for those who have completed the vaccination course with AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson or with a heterologous woman
The campaign for the third doses goes on and from the government there are signs of a near and progressive expansion of the interested audience. In the following summary, questions and answers on the categories of subjects who are eligible, the schedule of administration and the types of vaccine used.
Who is doing the third doses?
Currently, the administration of the third recommended doses: for all people over 60, for staff and guests of the RSA (residential facilities for the elderly), for health professionals and operators of health interest, for the frail even under 60 years (but of age), for all immunosuppressed people. Each Region is organized to reach these categories.
How many months after completing the vaccination cycle can the third dose be done (if it falls within the above categories)?
Immunosuppressed people may require the third dose as early as 28 days after the completion of the vaccination cycle: for them it is referred to as an additional dose because they are people who have not responded effectively to the first two injections (for example transplant recipients). For all the others (of the categories mentioned above), the so-called booster doses (booster in English) are possible only after 6 months from the completion of the vaccination cycle, regardless of the type of vaccine used. The goal, in this case, is to reactivate the production of antibodies.
What vaccines are given for the third dose?
In Italy, regardless of the vaccine used for the first vaccination cycle (Astrazeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson), only one of the two m-Rna vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) is used as a booster dose. In the case of Moderna, half the dose is sufficient for the booster.
What should those who get vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson do?
These subjects can take the third dose immediately, as long as six months have passed since the administration of the single dose. In this case they will receive a recall with Pfizer or Moderna.
Who has completed the first course of vaccination with a heterologous woman (in Italy Astrazenaca in the first dose and an RNA vaccine as a second) what should they do?
The vaccines used for the third dose are always RNA and the rule of six months from the last inoculation always applies, but you must be part of one of the categories mentioned in the first answer.
What is foreseen for those who have received vaccines not authorized by the EMA (the regulatory body of the European Union), such as Sinovac and Sputnik?
Persons vaccinated overseas with an unauthorized vaccine may receive a booster dose with an m-RNA vaccine in the strengths authorized for boosters starting at 28 days and up to 6 months after completion of the primary course. After the maximum term of 6 months from the completion of the primary course with a vaccine not authorized by EMA, as well as in case of failure to complete the same, it is possible to proceed with a complete primary vaccine course with m-RNA vaccine.
What other categories of people might be allowed to receive the third dose soon?
The Undersecretary of Health, Andrea Costa, said today that an extension to all over 50s is expected every day. The opinion of the Technical Scientific Committee (CTS) is awaited, but the intention is to widen the audience by age group (as a state for the primary vaccination cycle) to probably include all adults. At the end of the year, teachers and law enforcement agencies should also have matured six months from the primary cycle, among the first to have received the vaccination this winter (in that case regardless of age). It is not clear if they will be given a preferential lane in advance of the rest of the population or if the recalls for them will follow the authorization calendar for age groups.
Why are third doses necessary?
It has been seen that, for all approved vaccines, protection weakens starting from the sixth month after the completion of the vaccination cycle (on average). This decline mainly concerns the ability to protect against infections: the vaccine protects against hospitalization and deaths, but (in part) leaves the virus a certain margin of circulation in the population. The third dose brings the protection back to optimal levels (over 95%) also with regard to infections and could even trigger a long-term memory that allows you to make other boosters not earlier than 5-10 years (as happens for other viruses and related vaccinations. known). Finally, administering a third dose of a different type of vaccine (the so-called heterologous vaccination) develops a more solid immunity because the stimulus is broadened and completed and in any case inactivated virus vaccines (such as AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) for their the same nature could hardly have been used for more than two doses.
November 10, 2021 (change November 10, 2021 | 12:00)
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