Vaccine experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) today recommended that booster vaccines once morest covid no longer be administered to the population that is not in high-risk groups, given the high level of immunization achieved by populations in numerous countries.
The need for a booster dose, between six and 12 months following the previous one, remains only in groups that include the elderly, immunosuppressed and health workers, as explained today at a press conference by two representatives of the WHO expert group following their meetings from March 20 to 23.
For the first time, these experts, from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccines (SAGE), divided the population into three risk groups (high, medium and low): the need for new booster doses remains only for the first, which includes the three aforementioned groups.
“It is a reflection that a large part of the population is already vaccinated, has been infected with covid-19, or both at the same time,” said Hanna Nohynek, president of SAGE.
For people at medium risk of covid-19 (adults under 60 years of age and children or adolescents with certain health problems), SAGE only recommends a full first dose of the vaccine plus another booster following the necessary period (something that in many countries is already completed in 2022).
In the low-risk group (children and adolescents) SAGE recognizes the benefits that vaccines and booster doses can have in their prevention, although it recommends reconsidering their immunization.
“Each country should consider its specific context when deciding whether to continue vaccinating low-risk groups such as healthy children and adolescents, while not compromising other crucial immunizations,” Nohynek said.
On the other hand, experts also recommend a booster anticovid dose six months or more following the previous one for pregnant women.
The meetings also discussed global vaccination programs once morest other diseases, such as malaria, where one of the first vaccines designed once morest it, RTS,S, has been tested in Ghana, Malawi and Kenya since 2019.
The vaccine has shown a substantial reduction in severe cases of the disease among children, highlighted SAGE, who indicated that another 28 countries have shown interest in introducing this product into their health networks.
On the other hand, the experts expressed concern regarding the reduction that the pandemic has produced in vaccination programs once morest measles, with some 25 million children affected by it, which has caused the lowest coverage rate since 2008.
Source: EFE
