Buenos Aires province to conduct COVID-19 booster dose study in immunocompromised people

The government of the province of Buenos Aires has summoned immunocompromised people of legal age to participate as volunteers in a study that will assess the application of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The work will be used to analyze the benefits of the booster dose in specific groups, as reported today by the provincial health ministry.

The research aims to analyze the effects of the application of the third dose in specific populations. This will be done in order to expand the reported evidence on the benefits of implementing a new dose in immunization schedules, both homologous and heterologous in immunocompromised people.

The booster dose after the completion of the COVID-19 vaccination schedule has already been implemented in other countries for specific groups such as the immunocompromised or for those who have received certain vaccines with a lower level of protection. Booster dose studies are also underway in the UK.

From the health portfolio, Dr Nicolás Kreplak, explained that “although it is not recommended to incorporate a third dose in the general population as there is no evidence of its benefit, in specific populations, it may be important to know if a third dose generates additional benefit in the development of immunity ”.

The researchers hypothesize that incorporating a third dose could improve the immune response in immunocompromised people. To participate, the criteria for inclusion in the clinical trial were specified: be over 18 years old; have received a second dose of Sputnik V, Oxford / AstraZeneca – Covishield or Sinopharm between 30 and 60 days before the start of the study; and have the opportunity to move to the city of La Plata.

Another condition for participating in the study is to be in a situation of immunosuppression: mainly solid transplant recipients, patients under active chemotherapy who have had or have solid tumors and oncohematological disease will be taken into account. People who participate in a vaccine study and meet these criteria may also participate.

The study of the third dose of vaccine in immunocompromised people will be carried out over three months during which blood samples will be taken four times at hospitals or provincial extraction centers based in the city of La Plata, for the analysis of the different immune responses of the different groups to be studied.

Upon registration, researchers will select volunteers based on the study design. The selected people will be called by phone and email to go to an extraction center and a vaccination center. Those who are interested in participating and meet the above conditions are requested to complete in a shape before September 3.

The preliminary results of a study in the UK were recently known, which were published in prepublication in the journal The Lancet. Scientists at the University of Birmingham have found that only some patients with weakened immune systems have a weak or no antibody response after receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. For this reason, these sick people would need a vaccination booster to strengthen their protection against the possibility of infection with SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, a large group of these patients showed a favorable response with the two doses of inoculants from AstraZeneca and Pfizer / BionTech laboratories.

Experts said the recall would include people with vasculitis, who are taking a strong drug called rituximab, patients with cancer, inflammatory arthritis, kidney or liver disease, and those who have had a stem cell transplant.

Ya muchos países de ingresos altos y medianos han estado discutiendo las dosis de refuerzo (una tercera dosis, en la mayoría de los casos) como una forma de Garantieizar that las personas permanezcan protegidas contra las nuevas variants del coronavirus a medida que se acercan los meses winter.

In Israel, more than a million people have received a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine after the government launched its campaign targeting those over 50. Turkey started giving booster doses in July to health workers and people over 50. The country, which uses the Sinovac and Pfizer vaccines, now also allows people who have received the Sinovac vaccine to also receive the Pfizer vaccine so that they can travel to countries that do not recognize the Chinese vaccine.

A similar initiative is being implemented in Uruguay, where citizens who have received the Sinovac vaccine are offered a dose of the Pfizer vaccine to boost their immune response. And in Cambodia and Thailand, the AstraZeneca vaccine is offered as a booster to people who have received the Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccine.

The United States is expected to roll out booster shots for most adults starting September 20, with the third dose recommended eight months after the second. Healthcare workers, nursing home residents and the elderly who received the vaccines early will be prioritized for the recall.

However, So far, the US Food and Drug Administration, which on Monday gave final approval for the Pfizer vaccine, has only changed the emergency use authorizations for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, allow the administration of a third booster dose to certain immunocompromised individuals, including organ transplant recipients and those whose diagnosed condition is considered to have an equivalent level of immunosuppression.

The FDA is reviewing the safety and effectiveness of the booster dose in other members of the adult population, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reviewing the evidence.

In the UK, the healthcare system has prepared to roll out a booster dose in September for patients considered to be at risk of serious illness. However, the newspaper Times reported that the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization is awaiting further data before making a final decision on whether to recommend a booster program.

France and Germany also plan to launch the third dose of the vaccine in September for the elderly and vulnerable, including the immunocompromised and residents of nursing homes. Ecuador plans to implement booster doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines for people with weakened immune systems. His health ministry said it would conduct an investigation to determine whether the general population should also receive a third dose.

Uruguay, Cambodia and Thailand are mixing the vaccines, while the United States has decided not to combine the brands and has already announced that people who have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will be able to apply a third dose of the same. vaccine.

Combining vaccines is another strategy that several states have implemented in the midst of the pandemic to deliver the third dose. At this point, Uruguay, Cambodia and Thailand are mixing the vaccines, while the United States has decided not to combine the brands and has already announced that people who have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will be able to get a third dose of the same. vaccine. However, those who have received a dose of Johnson & Johnson will not yet be offered a second application, as officials await clinical results of the drug company’s efficacy of the serum.

In Ireland, the vaccine brands will be mixed, with people who have received a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine but did not choose to receive a second dose and are currently being offered a dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The vaccine mix will likely be cleared when the booster doses are released in October.

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