Israel evaluates third dose for older adults 2:10
(CNN Spanish) -
The third dose of the covid-19 vaccine is already a reality in countries as diverse as the Dominican Republic, Israel and Russia, among others.
Here we show you which ones approved approved the booster dose and to whom they are offering it.
This Friday, the Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, announced a program to apply a third dose of the vaccine against covid-19 to people over 60 years old.
In the country, a booster dose was already being offered to those immunosuppressed.
The ongoing debate on the third dose
In the United States, meanwhile, Pfizer reported that it will apply for approval for a booster dose in August.
The company published data suggesting that giving a third injection "strongly" increases protection against the delta variant of the coronavirus.
Following the release of the data, US Chief Health Officer Dr. Vivek Murphy insisted that at this point people who are fully vaccinated do not need a third dose and that the decision as to whether that dose is necessary and when it would be taken by agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration based on all available information.
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Dr. Paul Offit, of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, told CNN that more data is still needed to make that decision and that people with the two doses have high protection against severe disease due to what is needed now is not a third dose for the vaccinated, but for the unvaccinated to be vaccinated.
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The World Health Organization has also been emphatic that the priority is to advance vaccination, at a time when less than is fully vaccinated worldwide.
WHO Immunization Director Dr Kate O'Brien said Wednesday that there is currently "not enough information to offer a recommendation" for a third dose and that countries pushing booster injections without testing may make problems worse. supply of the vaccine.
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"If the countries go ahead and begin to apply the reinforcements, the problem we have is aggravated, which (is that) at this moment there is an insufficient supply so that all countries have vaccinated all their highest priority groups and then the lower priority groups, "he explained.
Murthy also said that the question of whether it is ethical for a third booster vaccine to be recommended while there is a severe vaccine supply shortage in the developing world was a "critical question" because the ability to reduce the likelihood of variants developing it depends on slowing the spread globally.
Scientists have pointed out that some groups of the population, including those who are immunosuppressed, could benefit from a third dose in the future.
Countries that have already approved and in some cases apply the booster injection
Bahrain
Bahrain announced in May the opening of a registry so that some of the most vulnerable groups against COVID-19 could receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the official Bahrain News Agency reported.
Among them were people over 50, first responders, people with obesity, low immunity or other underlying health conditions.
Six months after the second dose of Sinopharm to receive the booster dose.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE, which already has nearly 70% of the population fully vaccinated, also offers a booster dose six months after the second injection, Reuters reported.
It may be from Pfizer or Sinopharm, which was the vaccine they initially applied on a large scale, according to the agency.
France
In France, which recently approved a health pass for entry to restaurants, cinemas and other public places, the application of a third dose to immunosuppressed people is also recommended.
This group includes those who have received transplants or are taking strong immunosuppressive medications, among others.
The third dose, according to official recommendations, should be applied four weeks after the second.
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Israel
Israel, where more than 60% of the population is already fully vaccinated against covid-19, already offered a third dose for people with compromised immune systems, Reuters reported days ago.
And this week it gave the green light to a booster dose for those over 60 following the strong recommendation of its group of experts that was based on data that suggested a significant decrease in immunity over time.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic was the first country in Latin America to announce the application of a booster dose, which began to be applied to health officials.
The authorities explained that those who opt for the third injection will receive a different vaccine than the one they were initially given and that they decided to apply another dose against the advance of more contagious variants.
Russia
Moscow's mayor announced in early July that city clinics would begin offering the third dose of the vaccine, Reuters reported, after the Health Ministry updated the regulations and recommended that the booster injection be given to those who had received the vaccine six months or more ago.
According to the agency, authorities said it was an emergency measure given the increase in cases and vaccination rates that remained low.
So far 16% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Uruguay
The Uruguayan Ministry of Health, where more than 60% are already fully vaccinated against covid-19, confirmed that it will offer a third injection to all people who have received the Sinovac vaccine.
The booster dose, which will be from Pfizer, will be administered at least 90 days after the second dose of the Chinese-derived vaccine.
More countries with plans in place for the third dose
Other countries are not yet offering a third dose but have already started buying vaccines in case they are needed or plans have been announced.
Among them is the United Kingdom, where millions of people could receive a booster dose starting in September, according to the recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunization.
The objective of the campaign would be to protect the most vulnerable sectors in the face of winter and against the advance of the most contagious variants.
In Latin America, the case of Chile stands out, which is carrying out a study on the effects of the third dose and which has had the necessary injections for this scenario for a long time.
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