New Delhi: Many countries of the world are applying booster doses to their citizens to avoid the new variant Omicron of Corona. However, EU regulators warned that repeated COVID-19 booster shots could adversely affect the immune system.
According to the European Medicines Agency, repeating the booster dose every four months can eventually weaken the immune system and make people tired. Instead, countries should set longer timelines between booster programs and apply them at the start of the cold season in each hemisphere, following the blueprint set out by influenza vaccination strategies, the agency said.
The advisory comes as some countries are considering the possibility of giving people a second booster shot to protect against the growing Omicron variant. Earlier this month Israel became the first country to start giving a second booster, or fourth shot, to those over 60. The UK has stated that the boosters are providing good levels of protection and that there is no need for a second booster shot at this time, but that the data will be reviewed as it develops.
“The booster can be done once, or maybe twice, but it’s not something we can think of that needs to be done consistently,” Marco Cavallari, EMA’s head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy, told a press briefing on Tuesday. should be repeated. We need to think about how we can transition from the current pandemic setting to a more endemic setting.
The EU regulator also said at the briefing that oral and intravenous antivirals, such as paxlovid and remdesivir, maintain their efficacy against Omicron.
The agency said a new vaccine targeting specific variants could be approved in April, as the process takes about three to four months. Some of the world’s largest vaccine makers have said they are looking at making vaccines that target new variants.
first published:Jan. 12, 2022, 12:53 p.m.
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