Talks Of Vaccine Booster Shots Amidst Large Unvaccinated Population

Three new studies published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) say that the protection offered by vaccines Pfizer and Moderna against COVID-19 wanes over time. This has eventually prompted a debate among experts about the need for booster shots for everyone. Although, the studies have found these vaccines to be largely effective against hospitalizations, but to avert the infection it is being considered to take booster shots.

The studies were released just about a week after the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) authorized booster shots for transplant recipients and people with weakened immune systems to better protect them from variants of COVID-19. 

The FDA said those who had received either the Moderna or Pfizer BioNTech vaccines could take a third dose. There is information on beneficiaries of the Johnson and Johnson single dose vaccine yet, but recipients of this vaccine will likely require booster shots. 

Countries like Israel, Germany and France have already laid out plans to roll out the administration of booster shots. At the same time, the World Health Organization placed a moratorium on the COVID-19 booster in August due to differences in vaccination levels between low-income and high-income countries.

Israel that was once a model for beating COVID-19, is facing new surge of infections. As per one of the studies conducted between May 3 and July 25 has found that the overall vaccine effectiveness against infection for all age-groups in New York was reduced from 91.7 per cent to 79.8 per cent over a period of time.

Whereas In India, the AIIMS Director, Randeep Guleria said, "There is no definite evidence to suggest currently that there is a need to give booster shots to those who have been vaccinated in the past. Current data suggests that the vaccines are effective in preventing severe disease and death in those who have been vaccinated, even against the Delta variant.”

As of now, CDC has recommended booster shots for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised because they are believed to be more at risk of serious, prolonged illness from COVID- 19. People with weakened immune systems may not build the same level of immunity against the virus after a two-dose vaccine drive. In US, people can receive a third dose of the vaccine at least 28 days after their second dose. This comes on the contrary to what the WHO’s Dierctor-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has emphasized that countries that have already used up a major chunk of the global vaccine supply cannot go on using more of it.

N K Arora, Chairman of the COVID-19 working group of NTAGI said, "India will decide on booster dose based on scientific evidence generated locally. Studies are already underway to determine the need and timing of booster for currently used vaccines in the country.” While in India, the cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage has reached to 58.89 crore, only 45.55 crore have been administered with 1st dose and many have not even taken the vaccine. The prediction says that total adult population will get vaccinated by April 2022.