Frontline medical workers to get boost with third jab

Kumaran P | NT

Bengaluru, Dec. 8 Vaccinating frontline medical workers is top priority for the state government, as worries about Omicron continue to rise. The government is hoping to bolster its supply of vaccines by borrowing from other places and guidelines will be issued in a day or two.

Two days ago, the Clinical Expert Committee met to discuss the various issues pertaining to Omicron and the continued rise of Covid-19 cases across the globe. Among the key issues is the safety of frontline workers, who will be exposed to the virus constantly. At the meeting, doctors on the committee persuaded the government to pass orders and guidelines to provide a booster dose, which is a third dose of the vaccine, to all frontline workers across the state.

One of the committee members told NT, “In another day or two, the government will issue guidelines for frontline workers to take the third dose of vaccination as a booster dose. The chief minister has also met his higher-ups in Delhi and recommended the same and we are hopeful that we will be given relief by this move. We are also having another meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the issue further.”

“It is important for the frontline workers to be given a third dose for the very fact that they are treating patients in the forefront and not all vaccinated individuals are away from the COVID-19. They will be away from falling really sick wherein we have to rush them to the hospital. This third dose will protect the doctors and other frontline workers who have different antibody levels and memory cells. The government is hopeful and there will be a guideline,” the member added.

NT had reported that doctors in the city were secretly taking booster doses, or the third jab, without documentation. Several doctors had confirmed utilising leftover vaccines in hospitals.

Doctors say that the booster dose is important. Dr Jagadish Hiremath, chairman at Aasra Hospital said, “Doctors and frontline healthcare workers must be given the vaccination at the earliest. Recently, a doctor contracted Omicron even though he had not travelled abroad. We come in contact with illnesses all the time and need to be protected.”

How long does immunity after the covid-19 vaccination last?

Dr US Vishal Rao, Associate Dean, Centre for Academics and Research, HCG Cancer Hospital says, “There isn’t enough data to answer that with certainty. There is evidence, however, that resistance does wane, especially against the delta variant.”

The World Health Organization has called for a moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September, to enable a minimum of 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated. Just under a third (32%) of the world’s population has had at least one dose, and only a quarter (24%) have had two.

An annual vaccine?

Annual vaccinations are certainly a possibility. The fi rst vaccines have been developed keeping the design of D614G (Wuhan Mutant) but with the changing landscape of mutants, taking a jab once a year seems quite likely.