US begins booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

The United States on Friday launched a campaign to provide boosters of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to millions of Americans, although federal health officials have pointed out that the real problem remains giving the first injections to the unvaccinated.

About 60 million people can now receive a third dose of Pfizer inoculant, celebrated this Friday the president Joe biden, after a marathon controversy within the scientific community on the subject.

US health authorities have concluded Recommend this booster dose for three population categories: people 65 years of age and over, those 18 to 64 years old and with risk factors for developing a severe form of the disease (diabetes, obesity …), as well as those who are highly exposed to the coronavirus by their work or their place of residence. This last category is very broad, because it includes teachers, supermarket workers, health workers, inmates and people living in homeless shelters.

“We are not going to come out of this pandemic with a reinforcement”warned the doctor Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for its acronym in English), despite the fact that with his comments he contravened the opinion of his own panel of experts that more people are receiving the recall.

The vast majority of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations involve unvaccinated people, Walensky pointed out. And all three types of COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States offer strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death, despite the contagious delta variant that has skyrocketed cases. But immunity against a mild condition appears to wane months after the initial vaccination.

Health authorities should clear up the confusion about who should receive the reinforcement and why. So far, the strengthening campaign is what Walensky called “a first step.” It only applies to people initially vaccinated with vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. No decision has yet been made regarding recalls for Americans who have received vaccines. Modern O Johnson & Johnson.

President Joe Biden said that if you’re vaccinated, “you’re in good shape and we’re doing everything we can to keep it that way, that’s where the boost comes in”. He urged those who are now entitled to an additional vaccine to “opt for the booster”, saying he will get his own soon and everyone should be patient and take their turn.

In addition, he promised that people vaccinated with the drugs Moderna and Johnson & Johnson will also receive their booster dose as investigations continue. According to the president, all Americans could receive the recall “in the near future”.

These reinforcement campaigns are strongly criticized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which argues the inequalities of vaccines between rich and poor countries.

On your side, The United States assures that it can combine the reinforcement campaign with aid to foreign countries: This week, Washington increased its commitment to donate vaccines to countries in need for 1,100 million doses.

(With information from the AP and AFP)

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