The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a recommendation on the laying of the reinforcement dose or third dose.
In a report notes that with current evidence there is no urgent need for vaccine reinforcement administration to people with full pattern in the general population.
The documents also aims Yes, these additional doses should be considered in the case of patients with weakened fragile immune systems as part of their primary vaccination, if they do not achieve an adequate level of protection with standard immunization.
The report makes a difference between reinforcement and additional doses.
In the case of the latter refers to complete a vaccine guideline, as a precautionary measure, elderly and fragile people, particularly those living in closed environments, such as residents of long-term care centers.
In this sense, it is key to distinguish between reinforcement doses for people with normal immune systems and additional doses for those with weakened immune systems.
Some studies report that an additional dose of vaccine can improve the immune response in immunosuppressed individuals, such as organ transplant recipients whose initial responses to vaccination were low.
In such cases, the option of administering an additional dose of vaccine should already be considered.
Therefore, the ECDC states that “the priority should now be vaccinated all those eligible people who have not yet completed their recommended vaccination cycle. To complement vaccination efforts, it is also essential to continue applying measures such as physical distancing, hygiene
From the hands and the respiratory tract and the use of masks when necessary, in particular in high-risk environments, such as long-term care centers or hospital halls with patients at risk of severe COVID-19 “.
Evidence based on the effectiveness of the vaccine and the duration of protection shows that all authorized vaccines in Europe are currently highly protective against hospitalization, serious diseases and death related to Covid-19, while approximately one in three adults in
The EU is over 18 years of age is still not completely vaccinated.
To decide on the third periodic reinforcement or reinforcement in the general population, the report warns that more solid data is needed to inform future policies on reinforcement doses.
Knowledge lagoons are particularly related to the appropriate protection correlation to consider for different population groups and time from the primary vaccination series until a reinforcement dose should be administered, and the duration of immunity.
The ECDC points out that we must observe and study the impact on the different Etarian strips and risk groups, types of vaccine, dosage range, variant of interest (VOC) and homologous / heterologous pattern.
Prospective studies of vaccine effectiveness are needed, as well as the monitoring of irructive infections in the general population and in specific groups, to answer these questions.
Advice on how vaccines should be administered remains prerogative from national technical immunization consultants (NITAG) that guide vaccination campaigns in each EU Member State.
These organisms are in the best position to take into account local conditions, including the propagation of the virus (especially any variant of concern), the availability of vaccines and the capabilities of national health systems.
The ECDC will update its technical report as the ECDC and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) continue to work together to collect and evaluate the data that are available on reinforcements and additional doses.
“The close follow-up of the data on the effectiveness of vaccines and advanced infections should be continued, particularly among vulnerable groups at risk of severe Covid-19 and among those living in closed environments,” they point out.
Meanwhile, it concludes, “Member States should be prepared for possible adaptations from their vaccination programs in case a substantial decrease in vaccine efficiency is observed in one or more population groups.”
