[ad_1]
If additional doses are recommended, what would be the time between injections?
More research on the duration of immunity needs to be done before health experts answer this question, experts say. And recommendations could vary for the range of possible vaccine regimen combinations.
“And I think there are studies going on internationally that are looking at all of these variations of different types of different sequences in different schedules with different vaccines. And I think we really don’t know at this point how long the immunity will last. And there are a couple of things that will guide the decision around recommending a recall. And one of them is, “How long is the immunity?” “” Is the immunity going to decrease? “Over time, will people have sufficiently high levels of antibodies in their bloodstream to defend themselves against the virus?” ”, Said Chernak.
“And frankly, more and more data is coming out as we follow the first recipients of the vaccines that have been studied in clinical trials, that in fact it looks like the immunity lasts for a while. And that’s true with viral vector vaccines as well as mRNA vaccine, ”she said.
Additional doses will also depend on whether the virus mutates enough that the antibodies produced by the original vaccines are no longer protective, Chernak said.
Booster injections may simply be recommended for certain populations.
Not everyone reacts the same way to COVID-19 vaccines. People who are immunocompromised and those over the age of 80 may not be protected by any of the vaccines to the same extent as others, studies show. Some studies suggest that a third dose may boost the immune system in people who are immunocompromised.
“I suspect that the first populations that we will see with the booster recommendations will probably be – not those who received vaccine X or vaccine Y – but individuals, whatever vaccine they received, who have. over 70 or 80, or who had immunosuppression, such as organ transplants or autoimmune disease, taking medication, etc. Chernak said.
What if you got another dose of a different vaccine?
An ongoing study is looking at two doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
But there is so much more to study, including the effectiveness and safety of mixed vaccine regimens. The National Institutes of Health recently announced the start of a clinical trial to study the safety and efficacy of a mixed vaccine regimen.
Preliminary data, mainly from other countries, suggests that alternating doses is safe and effective, and that exposure to different types of vaccines actually stimulates the immune system. A study in England has shown that administering one dose of AstraZeneca vaccine followed by a dose of Pfizer is safe and produces additional antibodies and immune cells. But what these results mean remains to be determined.
Should we expect similar side effects with additional doses?
It’s plausible that the side effects are the same, both experts said, but it’s unclear what the specific side effects would be.
“We have to wait until the research is finished. But with most vaccines, the side effects are similar. The side effects of the COVID vaccine are similar to many other vaccines – pain at the site, headache, dizziness, fevers, chills, body aches, and people should be aware that side effects are something we would expect to see. produce, ”Wardlaw said. . “So people need to be prepared and expect these side effects to occur, and take Tylenol or Motrin if it’s convenient for them.”
“And then realizing that an adverse event is something we weren’t expecting, like with the blood clot after the Johnson & Johnson and the myocarditis that developed with the messenger RNA vaccines,” she said. declared. (Reports of these two side effects have been extremely rare.)
“But again, the effects of COVID on the heart, the effect of COVID on the lungs, the effects of COVID in terms of people developing strokes and having long term consequences with memory… People have to just be aware that, yes vaccines have side effects, we have unwanted side effects in a small number of cases, but again, the side effects of the vaccine far outweigh the complications of the coronavirus. “
What do Johnson & Johnson beneficiaries need to know?
Chernak advises patience. The information is changing rapidly – just two days after it was announced that people might need a second dose, data has been released showing sufficient duration of immunity.
“The jury is still out,” she said. “But new data is available every week. And frankly, the most recent data is actually quite encouraging – that in fact, the vaccine offers long-term protection and good, solid protection against the newer variants. I would therefore be encouraged by this information.
“And I think it’s okay to be patient and leave some of these studies going, including the two-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and some of these [mixed] sequencing studies, let them play.
Wardlaw said it was important to continue to encourage vaccination because otherwise the virus will continue to mutate, putting more people at risk.
“Studies have shown that unvaccinated people are at a higher risk of contracting coronavirus now and developing complications,” Wardlaw said. “States that have problems with low vaccination rates… will definitely increase the likelihood that the delta variant will flourish more. We need to make sure that there is a firm approach to ensure that people get vaccinated and that people recognize that those who are not vaccinated are at high risk of being infected with the delta variant. “
At the end of the day, no vaccine is perfect, Chernak said, so prevention measures are always important.
“Each of us, no matter what vaccines we may have received, should be aware of this potential exposure. When you are in an indoor situation with people you don’t know, whose immunization status you don’t know, and there are no barriers like masks in place, you are potentially at risk. Chernak said. “So you have to be careful with whatever vaccine you have received. You are protected against serious illness, which is fantastic and probably the most critical thing, but there are still a lot of illnesses out there and you should be aware of that. “
But so far all vaccines are very effective, she added.
“They are all winners,” she said. “And it really is a gift.
[ad_2]
Source link