In many countries, a booster jab has been already offered, or the process is ongoing. For example, Israel has already administered over 500,000 senior residents, and Chile will start the process soon. These countries have high vaccination rates, and they decided not to wait for the U.S drug regulators’ approval of the third shot. The FDA might also approve a third shot for immunocompromised patients in the following days.
Studies show the benefits of a third Covid-19 vaccine shot for immunocompromised people
A recent study involving 120 people who had previously suffered organ transplants and had already been fully vaccinated showed that a third jab is beneficial for their protection. 55% of the 120 immunocompromised people that received a booster shot developed enough antibodies. The new antibodies provide protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its mutated strains, such as Delta.
Researchers are happy with the results
Atul Humar is the author of the study and chief of transplant medicine at Toronto General Hospital in Canada. He said that the findings are great news and that the Ajmera Transplant Centre results show the effectiveness and benefits of a third dose. The research subjects who received a placebo shot did not have the same level of antibodies as those who did get a third Covid-19 vaccine. Just 18 % of them had a desired level of antibodies.
The Covid-19 vaccine used in the study was Moderna due to its high quantity of messenger RNA. The results showed that the antibodies levels were higher, as well as protective T-cells. Humar concluded that the benefits of a third dose outweigh potential risks and that patients who have suffered organ transplants need the extra protection.
The world is trying to end the pandemic as more variants of the virus start spreading. The highly contagious Delta strain is now the dominant variant in the U.S.
