In people over 60, the third dose would be 86% effective against infections.
- Against infections, three doses would protect better than two injections.
- At the end of August, the HAS will decide on the use of this booster dose for the population.
- The WHO is opposed to this third dose when two-thirds of the world’s population has not received a dose of vaccine.
The question of the third dose continues to be debated. While France prepares to inject a third dose to the most vulnerable from mid-September and the United States launches a national campaign from September 20, Israel has been administering booster doses for the over 60s since the month of July. The first data that emerges show the effectiveness of this third dose which would prevent infections by 86%.
three is better than two
The figures were revealed by health insurance body Maccabi, which covers around a quarter of Israel’s 9.3 million people. They compared the results observed in 149,144 people aged over 60 at least one week after receiving a booster vaccine, with those of 675,630 others who had received only two doses, in January or February. The group says the comparison groups have similar demographic profiles. However, there is no precision on the degree of severity of the cases, nor the existence of underlying pathologies in people who have been infected with the coronavirus.
Only 37 people who received a booster dose were tested, or 0.24 per 1,000. For comparison, this figure rises to 1.57 per 1,000 among those who received only two injections. Results that corroborate those obtained in the laboratory by the Pfizer and BioNTech groups. According to their phase 1 trialthis reminder allowed “preserve and even exceed the high levels of protection against the original strain of the coronavirus responsible for Covid and against its variants. A booster shot could help reduce rates of infection and illness in people who have already been vaccinated and better control the spread of virus variants in the coming season.”
WHO opposed to third dose
In France, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, had indicated during his speech on July 12 that “those vaccinated first, that is to say in January-February, will soon see their antibody levels drop, their immunity decrease”. He added that the third doses would be available for these people from the start of the next school year. However, a few days later, on July 28, the High Authority for Health (HAS) returned an opinion in favor of a recall but only for the vulnerable and those aged over 80. For the others, the HAS should decide at the end of August.
Internationally, the third dose is debated. For the World Health Organization, a moratorium is needed on this booster dose, in order to allow all countries to have access to vaccination. “We urgently need to turn things around: from a majority of vaccines going to rich countries to a majority going to poor countries“WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech on Wednesday August 4. The international organization is calling for this moratorium to last at least until the end of September, when less one-third of the world’s population has received at least one dose of vaccine.
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