Healthcare professionals, frontline workers and high risk groups have more chances of getting infected with the Coronavirus variants. It is now revealed that the state wing of IMA has urged the govt to consider administration of second Covid booster vaccination.
According to Mr. A.K. Ravi Kumar, state secretary of IMA it was clear that many people would have got exposed to the infection and immunity would have also increased. He added that the volume of exposure to the infection during a sudden spike must be considered. He concluded that when there is another Covid wave then the people would be exposed to a heavy volume of cases and would be at huge risk.
More than a year has passed since the healthcare professionals and frontline workers were administered with their last Covid dose. The immunity in these people would have gone by now. In this scenario, a fourth precautionary dose would develop antibodies to combat the Coronavirus.
Famous virologist Dr. Jacob John spoke about how booster vaccines would increase the self confidence of the people to a huge extent. The people would not fear dying or getting admitted in the ICUs etc. It is shocking to note that the spread of the Coronavirus variant in China is now taking place by breaking the immunity of the people. Hence, it is necessary to keep the immunity levels high and this could be achieved by administering a second booster dose.
For high risk and vulnerable groups, countries like Israel, USA. Sweden, Denmark, Cambodia and South Korea etc have given approval for the fourth dose. It must be taken into account that the WHO has not recommended a fourth dose till now due to lack of enough evidence. The second booster dose might only neutralise antibodies temporarily and its effectiveness would be short lived only. This was as per some Chennai based doctors.
The doctors were of the view that it would be better to inoculate those people who haven`t received their second dose or third dose. It was brought out by Mr. K. Kolandaisamy, public health expert that most of the healthcare workers who have received 3 vaccination shots would have got infected and would have developed natural immunity also. Point is that even 2 decades later also the immunity developed against SARS-CoV1 would be there in our bodies. As a result, there would not be any need to get administered with the second booster shots now.