It is now possible to register for the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, but the Minister’s Counselor suggests not to rush

For example, Klemens from Vilnius, who has chronic illnesses, did not develop sufficient immunity to the coronavirus even after two doses of the vaccine. This was evidenced by antibody tests performed in two different laboratories. Therefore, he was one of those who was particularly eager to be vaccinated with a third booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Since the man was only vaccinated with the second dose in May, he thought the third dose would have to wait. However, one day, when, as he said, he had nothing to do and tried to register for the third vaccine, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that he could receive a booster starting on September 30, less than six months after the second. . dose.

After trying to sign up for the third shot, his friends who were vaccinated at a similar time were invited to be revaccinated much later: one starting on November 25, the other starting on December 15. It is true that they did not have chronic immunosuppressive diseases and were under 65 years of age.

As you know, the amount of antibodies in vaccinated people decreases over time. This was also demonstrated by a recent study of doctors who were among the first to be vaccinated in Lithuania at the Santara clinics.

“The Santara Clinic of the Vilnius University Hospital implements a safe hospital policy after vaccination against COVID-19 disease. To guarantee the epidemiological safety of patients and employees, they periodically verify the immunological status of employees, that is, they carry out tests for the detection of antibodies both in COVID-19 and in vaccinated employees ”, Vilija Gurkšnienė, Head of the Control Department of Infections of Clinicas Santara, said to the Delfi portal.

Half a year after the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, 5,439 workers were tested for antibodies, he said.

“Antibody titers were found to be higher in younger employees (19 to 34 years) compared to other age groups, but after half a year, antibody titers were decreasing in all age groups,” said V. Gurkšnienė.

There are no domains yet as to whether people who relapsed and were vaccinated against coronavirus retained more antibodies even after some time.

“There is still a lack of data to conclude on the effectiveness of acquired immunity in a relapsed and vaccinated person,” said the doctor.

So is a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine worth thinking about for those who were vaccinated about six months ago?

Aistė Šuksta, Public Relations Advisor to the Minister of Health, told the Delfi portal that universal vaccination with the third booster dose has not yet been discussed.

Revaccination is only offered to certain groups of the population, such as people with certain diseases, people over 65 who have been vaccinated for 6 months after the second dose, and those who have been vaccinated first, that is, all employees, related persons. to those who render services in medical, nursing or assistance institutions, and the like.

It is true that there are people who were vaccinated almost half a year ago, but they are under 65 years old and do not work in medical, nursing or care facilities and do not have serious comorbidities. When asked if they should already register for a booster dose, the interviewee replied: “If they are not working in the medical, nursing and care sectors, they are not involved in any way and they are not volunteers there, they should not be vaccinated.

The Santara clinics conducted studies that analyzed the levels of antibodies vaccinated with the two doses of the vaccine at 3 months and 6 months. Antibody levels have been found to begin to decline, particularly in the age 65 and over age group, when there are already insufficient antibodies to ensure the body’s response. Therefore, a booster dose is recommended for these people. “

Another group that is recommended to receive a booster dose of the vaccine, according to a ministry spokeswoman, are people who do not develop an adequate immune response to the coronavirus due to certain diseases or medications.

Booster dose vaccination is also recommended for nurses, caregivers, and physicians who are constantly in an environment where the risk of becoming ill and transmitting the virus to others, such as patients, is much higher.

When asked if a third dose is worth registering for those who do not belong to these groups, Mr. Šuksta replied: those under 65 and over and not in an active COVID-19 environment, such as doctors, nurses or health workers, would require a reinforcement. dose “.

Even for those who have very few antibodies for some time after two doses, although they do not belong to the risk groups to be revaccinated, the interviewee suggested that the booster dose should not be rushed: “There is no study of the manufacturers on the The booster dose should already be allowed.

So far, we are looking at what the manufacturers are doing, what research they are doing. Pfizer has promised to present its findings in late June, but the study has yet to be published. European countries are cautious about booster vaccination decisions. We are one of the first to start vaccination with a booster dose. At the moment, it seems to me that there are only four countries in Europe that vaccinate certain groups in society with a booster dose. “

According to the latest data, in total 60.8% of the Lithuanian population was vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine in Lithuania. Among those vaccinated, 71.5 percent are vaccinated.