Who will need a booster dose amid Omicron threat
Just when we were getting used to the idea of living with COVID, the news of its latest and reportedly more virulent variant Omicron has hit the world. While there is no case of the new variant in India yet and the authorities are taking all required measures to ensure that it doesn’t breach our borders, there is widespread anxiety. With the latest news of Moderna CEO sharing that vaccines are less effective against Omicron, people are naturally in panic mode. In such a scenario, it only makes sense for people to wonder if it’s time for a booster dose, specifically for those who were vaccinated in the first leg of vaccine roll out.
Read also: What the doctor who sounded off COVID’s Omicron variant wants us to know
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The importance of understanding body’s immune response
Prof. Dr. Agam Vora, Chest Physician, Vora Clinic Mumbai shares, “While the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still around, with stepped up vaccinations, people are returning to work, schools and regaining some semblance of normalcy. Of course there are constant conversations on the status of immunity once vaccination doses are completed. Immunity levels can be determined by antibody testing after at least 14 days of the second dose. It’s also important to talk about the need for a booster dose, and work is going on around this aspect as well. While vaccines are effective at preventing severe infection and mortality, they are not 100 per cent effective in stopping acquisition or the transmission of the virus, more so with waning immunity over a period of time. Testing for antibody levels may help understand the immune status of your body which in turn may help determine the need for a booster dose, especially in the more vulnerable or at risk populations.”
No clear data on whether weaning antibody levels mean one is prone to serious infection
According to Dr Sushila Kataria, senior director of the Internal Medicine Department at Medanta, who is also an expert in Infectious Disease, “The concept of booster vaccine or additional vaccine came with the evidence that the vaccine-induced immunity tends to wean off. However, there is no clear evidence that with this weaning antibody levels against spike protein, people are getting more prone to infection. Many things are evolving with time and nobody wants to take any chance and that’s why countries are giving booster dose.
Who all need a booster dose sooner than others
Some people have poor immune responses and they should be candidates for additional dose - people with malignancies, on radiotherapy, chemotherapy, people on steroids or other immunosuppressants, people who are above 65 years of age, diabetic patients, chronic kidney and liver disease patients, also people who are more prone to be in contact with patients like healthcare workers including all categories could also be candidates irrespective of their age, adds Dr Kataria.
Should we be scared of the new mutant?
This new mutant has been reported only in the past one week. It has been shown that transmissibility seems to be more than usual but clear cut reports of increased mortality are still not available. The situation is evolving and we can't say for sure whether it is more virulent or not. Otherwise too, whenever a new mutant comes, it takes a month to understand its clinical profile, its severity and transmissibility. Another one month to understand how it is behaving with vaccine immunity or with monoclonal immunity.
Be careful but don’t panic
We should be careful and concerned but we should not be overreacting. Reassess your COVID appropriate behavior and make sure that everyone is vaccinated.
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Read also: What the doctor who sounded off COVID’s Omicron variant wants us to know