Professor Usonis hopes that everyone will receive the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine before the end of the year.

Research suggests that levels of protective antibodies may decrease after some time after the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

“It just came to our notice then. I could say that we are talking about the third vaccine, or rather, we should be talking about a booster dose of the vaccine. Because there are ‘dead’ vaccines available, all of these vaccines must be given to the minus twice.

This is the primary vaccination: those two doses, three of the vaccines vaccinated in Lithuania or one dose if it is a Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This is the primary vaccination. And some time after the initial vaccination, it is necessary to inject a booster dose, “said V. Usonis.

The professor said that he has gained a lot of experience in vaccinating children, adults.

“Coronavirus vaccines are no exception. When people get vaccinated, the immune response gradually weakens, which is completely natural. And after a while, that booster dose is necessary. The question is after a while . And here is the biggest debate. But here again we must remember the known experience and theory: the range can be very wide. Let’s say, compared to, for example, the pertussis vaccine, after the initial dose , the immune response and its duration vary from 5 to 7 years ”, said Professor V. Usonis in the program.

He said now we need to talk about a clear time when the booster dose of the vaccine can be given as soon as possible.

“And here is the term of three, four or five months. Or what we are talking about in Lithuania: after 6 months, after completing the primary vaccination cycle, or after 6 months of illness, it would be very good to have the opportunity to vaccinate with a booster dose “, explained the teacher in the program.” Delfi rytas “.

V. Usonis stated that if we measure the dose of the booster vaccine with the results of an antibody test, the minimum level of protection is very important.

“If there are more than the minimum level of antibodies, they work. It doesn’t matter how much more. This is important in terms of the duration of immunity. Clearly, if there are more antibodies, we can expect their decline to take longer compared to those people who have fewer antibodies.

However, the practice of other vaccines says that we may not even measure those antibodies before the booster dose, because if a person has antibodies and we vaccinate them, we will not harm them, we will trigger a secondary type of immune response. And it will serve for the formation of a sustainable and long-lasting immunity and immunological memory, ”said the professor.

V. Usonis said that everyone should need the booster dose.

“It just came to our notice then. The World Health Organization (WHO) has taken the initiative to ensure that industrialized countries do not rush the booster dose until vaccination rates are extremely low in developing countries. However. Going back to Lithuania, I would think that in our case, when it is announced that a large number of doses of vaccines are stored in refrigerators.

Of course, we could start with that booster shot of vaccination. This has already begun to be done in people with impaired immune function. (…) It is a very good promise to start vaccinating all those whose vaccination was completed in the fourth quarter of the year before 6 months ago ”, said Professor V. Usonis.

He argued that such a solution would have a scientific basis and a vaccination that would improve safety.

V. Usonis stated that viral vector-based vaccines may be less suitable for the third booster dose of the coronavirus. One of them is the AstraZeneca vaccine used in Lithuania.

“They may be less suitable for booster doses because the vaccinated person’s immune system can respond not only to the antigen carried by the virus, but also to the virus itself,” said Professor Usonis.

“So the current view is that a booster dose of another kind of vaccine should be given.” What we really have in Lithuania today: Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines, “he said.