Covid vaccine: WHO recommended third dose for at-risk groups | Change of criteria

The Expert Advisory Group on Vaccines World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that patients in certain risk groups receive an additional third dose of coronavirus vaccine, despite the fact that the agency had asked in August for a moratorium on these booster vaccinations.

Mexican Alejandro Cravioto, chair of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), made the announcement After the meeting held last week by this body, during which the vaccination strategies against Covid-19 and other diseases, such as malaria or polio, were analyzed.

Who should receive the third dose of the vaccine

About the third dose (or second in the case of the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine), in principle should be given to people with a “moderately or severely compromised immune system”Cravioto pointed out during a press conference.

The Mexican expert clarified that this recommendation applies to all vaccines approved by WHO for emergency use against Covid-19: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm and Sinovac. In the coming days, that of the Indian laboratory Bharat will surely join, according to Cravioto.

The booster dose may be a different type of vaccine from the regimen initially received., said the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) at a press conference.

The green light for a third dose, limited to certain groups, is produced after WHO asked in August not to give boosters until the end of September

given the persistent inequality in the distribution of anticovid vaccines, a mandate that was extended, weeks later, until January 2022.

The vaccination target for 2022

Experts also recommended that the international community set a goal of vaccinating 70% of the world’s population against COVID-19 by mid-2022.

“This is a much higher percentage than we previously thought, but given the development of the pandemic and the availability of new vaccines for younger age groups, is a possible goal “, underlined the president of SAGE.