Covid-19 vaccine: The supplement vaccine works and is there a need to give it away now?
October 10, 2021
Fear of contracting a new type of corona virus known as the Delta variant has prompted some countries to offer additional immunizations to people who have already been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
But given limited scientific evidence to support the need and effectiveness of the "supplemental vaccine" - the issue has raised mixed feelings, as many nations around the world are facing a shortage of vaccines.
We plan to provide extra protection for people who already have life immunity, while we let other people drown, "said World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Mike Ryan, comparing the Covid-19 to a sinking ship.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a statement calling for the government to suspend additional immunizations until more people can be vaccinated.
But what does the scientific evidence say? What do proponents of additional vaccinations and those who oppose it question?
Is it time to start distributing those vaccines - or should we wait?
Which countries are already offering additional coverage?
Cambodia increases the immunity of those who were first vaccinated by Sinopharm or Sinovac
Despite the WHO request, several countries have already begun providing additional immunizations to some of their citizens.
The United States is offering additional immunizations to anyone regardless of age or health status, eight months after receiving the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
In Dubai, additional doses are also offered to all second-line vaccines, and people in high-risk and eligible groups receive it after just three months.
The third dose of vaccine is given in Israel to anyone 40 years of age or older and who has been given a second dose of the vaccine five months ago.
Chile, Uruguay and Cambodia offer additional immunizations to people who have been vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm, starting with the elderly and vulnerable groups.
Thailand and Indonesia have provided a third dose of a separate vaccine for health workers who have been vaccinated with Sinovac, despite having lower immunization rates (8% and 12% respectively).
France and Germany will begin offering additional vaccinations in September but the UK has not yet made a decision.
Brazil, South Korea and India are among the countries considering to launch additional immunization programs, although no plans have yet been announced in those countries.
Vaccine and Delta variant.
Delta viruses can infect people who have been vaccinated and transmitted by those people
What pressures such programs is the fear of the spread of Covid-19's Delta virus, which appears to be twice as contagious, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In its guideline, the CDC states that "people infected with the Delta dialect, as well as people who are fully vaccinated […] can pass it on to others."
However, it says, vaccinated people have the ability to spread the virus quickly - which is why US citizen Joe Biden is calling for people to be vaccinated, saying it is "the best way to protect yourself against the new virus".
But Oksana Pyzik, a researcher at UCL's medical unit, says the decision to go ahead with additional vaccines is too early and "unscientific".
"The vaccine increase is a step in the right direction against the Delta virus and is a 'justice if' policy," he told the BBC.
There is no evidence to support the need or effectiveness of supplement supplements, Dr. Pyzik says.
"Currently, there is little data on weakened immunity, but at this early stage the data indicates a decrease in immunity from weak infections, not severe diseases," he says.
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