As of the end of September, all American adults who have received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna will be able to request a third injection.
Illustrative image. © Sorapop Udomsri
Faced with an increase in contamination in many countries, the question of the third dose is increasingly being asked. After France, Germany or even Israel, it is now the turn of the United States to decide on the third dose.
“This is the best way to protect ourselves from new variants that might arrive.Joe Biden said during remarks.
A recall campaign for the anti-Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will be launched in the United States from the end of September, health authorities announced on Wednesday, worried about the decline in immune protection observed over time and in the face of the Delta variant .
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Eight months after the second dose
Adults who have received one of these serums will be able to request a third injection eight months after the second, from the week of September 20, they detailed.
This recall campaign, however, remains suspended from the authorization of an additional dose by the United States Medicines Agency (FDA).
“The available data clearly show that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decline over time after the first doses of the vaccine.“, justified in a press release from senior health officials.
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Elderly people first
The first people to be able to benefit from a third dose will be the “nursing home residents“, the “the elderly” and of “many health professionals“, who were the first population groups to be vaccinated in the United States.
The first injections of messenger RNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) took place in December 2020 in the country.
As of last week, some immunocompromised people can already get a third dose in the country.
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WHO calls for more solidarity with poor countries
Several countries have already started recall campaigns targeting parts of their population, including Israel for people over 50.
And this despite calls from the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone these operations in an attempt to remedy the gaping vaccine inequalities between countries.
“We clearly believe that current data does not indicate that recalls are necessary“WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told a press conference.
Read also: Covid: WHO questions the interest of a third injection while some countries are lacking doses
It is necessary “wait for science to tell us when boosters are needed, what groups of people and which vaccines need boosters“, she explained.
From a point of view “moral and ethical“, it is also not good in his eyes that the rich countries inject the 3rd dose”when the rest of the world is waiting for their first injection“.
“We can take care of Americans and help the world at the same time“, he defended in the face of criticism pointing out the monumental differences between poor countries where vaccines are lacking, and rich who can afford to administer third doses.
The first of the 500 million doses of Pfizer vaccine promised by Washington to poor countries began shipping this week.
