Vaccine Effectiveness Is Declining Why Everyone Needs Booster Shots – Free PDF Download

What has happened?

• 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 SARS-CoV-2 wanes over time,
• Prompting a debate among experts about the need for booster shots for everyone eventually.
• Even so, these vaccines have been largely effective against hospitalisations, the studies have found.

Significance of these studies

• The studies were released just about a week after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised 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 no information on beneficiaries of the Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine yet, but recipients of this vaccine will likely require booster shots.
• Countries such as Israel, Germany and France have already laid out plans to roll out the administration of booster shots.
• Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has placed a moratorium on Covid-19 boosters in August due to the disparity in vaccination levels in low and high-income countries.
• The WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasised previously that countries that have already used up a major chunk of the global vaccine supply cannot go on using more of it.

What the studies have found?

• One of the studies was conducted between May 3 and July 25
• and has found that while the overall age-adjusted vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisations in New York remained relatively stable (b/w 91.9-95.3%),
• The overall vaccine effectiveness against infection for all age-groups of adults in New York was reduced from 91.7% to 79.8%.
• These results are from the time when the circulation of the Delta variant in the US was high.
• One reason why the effectiveness of vaccines is reduced against infections could be because of the increased viral load associated with the Delta variant.
• Another study conducted between March and July found that among 1,129 patients who received two doses of one of the mRNA vaccines, no decline in vaccine effectiveness against Covid-19 hospitalisations was observed after six months.
• This study found that the vaccine effectiveness was 86% 2–12 weeks after vaccination and 84% at 13–24 weeks.
• Vaccine effectiveness was sustained among groups at risk for severe Covid-19.
• Another study said that two doses of mRNA vaccines were 74.7% effective against infection among nursing home residents between March-May.
• This study says that during June-July, when the Delta variant was predominant, the vaccine effectiveness declined to 53.1 per cent.
• “An additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine might be considered for nursing home and long-term care facility residents to optimize a protective immune response,” this study has said.

Who can get booster shots in the US?

• As of now, the 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.
• This is because persons with weakened immune systems may not build the same level of immunity against Covid-19 after a two-dose regimen relative to those who are not immunocompromised.
• Therefore, for now, immunocompromised people in the US can receive a third dose of the vaccine at least 28 days after their second dose was delivered.
• US authorities allowed Wednesday as they authorized booster shots for all Americans from September 20 starting eight months after an individual has been fully vaccinated.

conclusion

• The available data make very clear that protection against (coronavirus) infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination,
• Although the vaccines remain “remarkably effective” in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death from the effects of Covid.
• Hence booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability

Q) Which among the following deficiency causes chlorosis in older leaves?

1. Calcium
2. Magnesium
3. Sodium
4. Nitrogen

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!