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Italy Starts Administering Booster Shots To Elderly, Japan To Begin Early Next year

Italy Starts Administering Booster Shots To Elderly, Japan To Begin Early Next year
Israel, France, Italy, the UAE, Russia, and Germany have already rolled out the third dose of Covid jabs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has, meanwhile, called for a delay in booster shots until people in poorer countries are fully vaccinated.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Updated : September 21, 2021 8:31 PM IST

Some studies have claimed that Covid-19 vaccine immunity can last only for about six months, or a little more, suggesting the need for booster shots especially for people with fragile immune systems. However, an international group of scientists argued in a review recently published in The Lancet that booster doses for the general population are "not appropriate" at this stage in the pandemic. While the debate continues, Italy has already started administering the third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to immuno-compromised people and the elderly. Japan has also announced their decision to provide booter shots to senior citizens beginning early next year.

Earlier this month, Italy's Health Ministry had announced that third doses of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines will be offered to immuno-compromised people, including elderly people and residents in care homes.

Now, the country's Medicines Agency (AIFA) has approved the booster shots. According to the guidelines issued by AIFA, the booster shot would be given to healthcare workers as well, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

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For immuno-compromised people, it is recommended the third shot should be administered 28 days after the previous dose, while those over 80, people living in care homes, and healthcare professionals, should get it 6 months after their last dose. However, the third dose will be optional in Italy.

Japan's vaccination minister Taro Kono also said at a press conference on Tuesday that the country will begin to inoculate the elderly with the third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine early next year. Medical staff are expected to get booster injections within the year, he added.

Israel, France, the UAE, Russia, and Germany have also rolled out the third dose of Covid jabs.

Experts differ on need for booster shots

The World Health Organization (WHO) has, meanwhile, called for a delay in booster shots until people in poorer countries have been vaccinated. Instead, the organisation wants countries to focus on vaccine equity so that every country is able to vaccinate at least 40 per cent of its population by the end of this year, and at least 70 per cent by the middle of next year.

According to the WHO, out of the 5.5 billion vaccine doses administered globally so far, 80 per cent were in high- and upper-middle income countries.

Though WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledges that third doses may help enhance immunity in vaccinated people, and may be necessary for the high-risk populations, he doesn't see the need for widespread use of boosters for healthy people who are fully vaccinated.

During a media interaction last week, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said that it was unethical to start administering the booster dose when many people in certain countries have not even got two doses for full vaccination.

He also stated that there's no evidence to show Covishield, one of the COVID-19 vaccines approved in India, requires a third dose and that they have also not recommended it yet.

US drug makers Pfizer and Moderna support booster shots to maintain high levels of protection. Citing studies that show effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines wane after six months, they said boosters are important to reduce breakthrough infections, which happen when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with COVID-19.

A study conducted in Israel revealed that a booster dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine can prevent both infections and severe illness in adults older than 60.

Several US federal health officials including the country's top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci have backed the proposal to distribute booster shots to provide maximum protection against Covid-19.