With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant, The McClon, the number of new confirmed cases in the United States in a single day exceeded 1 million on Monday (January 3), which is also the highest number in the world since the outbreak of the epidemic. The next day, the CDC recommended that people who are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine receive a booster injection one month in advance.
At the same time, Israel has begun to provide a fourth dose of the vaccine to healthcare workers and people over the age of 60. On Tuesday, local time, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett cited the preliminary test results as saying that the fourth dose of Pfizer vaccine can increase the number of antibodies in vaccinators by 5 times, thereby "significantly improving" the effectiveness of preventing infections, hospitalizations and severe symptoms.
Cases have surged and the U.S. has shortened the interval between booster needles
On Tuesday, local time, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended shortening the interval between receiving the third dose of Pfizer vaccine from six months after full vaccination to five months. Rochelle Valensky, director of the center, noted that the recent surge in cases caused by the Omiljun strain was the reason for the accelerated third dose.
↑ Many countries are considering promoting a fourth dose of covid-19 vaccine
According to foreign media reports on the 4th, the recent acceleration of the spread of the Olmi kerong strain in the United States has led to more than 1 million new confirmed cases in the country on January 3, refreshing the previous single-day record. The CDC said cases of infection with the Omikejung strain accounted for more than 95 percent of the country's new cases.
However, this change is only for Pfizer vaccinators, and the CDC still recommends that people vaccinated with the Modena COVID-19 vaccine wait 6 months after full vaccination before receiving the booster injection, while those with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine need to inject the booster needle two months after the single dose.
The CDC also said that children aged 5 to 11 who develop a "moderate to severe weakened" immune system are eligible for a booster injection 28 days after their initial Pfizer vaccine. Health officials will also discuss whether to provide booster injections for children ages 12 to 15 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday recommended that Pfizer provide a third injection for the age group.
Israeli study shows that the 4th dose of the vaccine caused a "significant jump" in antibody numbers.
As a "bellwether" in providing booster injections, Israel has been offering a fourth dose of covid-19 vaccine to citizens over the age of 60, people with compromised immune systems and healthcare workers since Monday, even before the results of the latest trials.
↑An Israeli study reported that after a week of injecting the fourth injection, participants' antibody levels jumped an average of 5 times.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Bennett cited preliminary findings from the country as saying that a fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine could help test participants increase their antibody counts fivefold. "Both in terms of viral transmission and infection, as well as in terms of severe morbidity, the experimental results show a much higher level of protection from the fourth dose." Bennett added that officials are now also "more confident" about the safety of widespread use of additional booster doses.
The trial, conducted at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, began in late December last year, with a total of 150 participants significantly reducing their antibody levels within four months of injecting three doses of the Pfizer-Biotech vaccine. The trial first screened for adverse reactions after the fourth dose, but found no problems. "The (undesirable) effect of the fourth needle is the same as that of the first two." Steve Waltz, a spokesman for Sheba Medical Center, said, "There were a few people with low-grade fevers and a few people with sore arms, but that was all. A week after the fourth injection, the researchers found that the participants' antibody levels jumped an average of 5 times.
For the results of the initial trial, public health officials in Israel said that the new findings add some data support to prove the effectiveness of the fourth dose of Pfizer vaccine.
Critics: It May Be "Too Early" to Offer a 4th Stitch Now
However, some critics warn that in the absence of complete data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the fourth shot, "this move is premature." In addition, some researchers did not rule out that "repeated injections" of boosters of the same vaccine may suppress the immune response in the body.
Hagay Levine, an epidemiologist at the Hebrew University and president of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, praised the government's decision to provide booster injections to people with compromised immune systems. But he noted that for healthy people, it is not clear whether the immune effects of the first three doses of the Pfizer vaccine "have weakened to the point where a fourth dose is needed." Commenting on the new findings, Levine said: "Raising antibody levels is good news, but first we need to know if another injection is necessary. ”
It is reported that Germany, the United Kingdom and other countries are also considering the promotion of the fourth dose of the new crown vaccine. In late December, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said germans "will need a fourth vaccination" to prevent COVID-19. The UK is currently rolling out a third dose of the vaccine to healthy people aged 18 and over and high-risk groups aged 16 and over. The institute, founded by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, also claimed that "a fourth dose of the vaccine may be needed soon".
In response, Professor Andrew Pollard, chairman of the UK Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunization and head of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine research and development team, said that before a fourth dose of vaccine is offered to the British, further data is needed to determine "whether, when and for how long those with weaker immunity need to be given additional doses".
In addition, too much booster vaccination may distract vaccine resources that should otherwise be used in a wider area. "Keep in mind that less than 10% of people in low-income countries have received their first dose of the vaccine right now, so the idea of getting a fourth dose regularly globally is unwise." Professor Pollard said, "We can't vaccinate the whole planet every four to six months. ”
Red Star News reporter Wang Yalin Intern reporter Hu Yiling
Edited by Zhang Xun
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