Maharashtra: Doctors suggest booster dose of vaccine for better immunity against Covid-19

An expert said 'count of antibodies in people, who have completed their vaccination some six to eight months ago, is declining'

In light of the rise in Covid-19 cases in Europe, several medical practitioners in Maharashtra have suggested that a booster dose of the vaccine against coronavirus should be administered to healthcare and frontline workers.

Talking to PTI, Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician of Bombay Hospital, said the count of antibodies in people, who have completed their vaccination some six to eight months ago, is declining.

“The count of antibodies in people who have taken the second dose of vaccine some six to eight months ago is going down. We should administer a third dose or booster dose of vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers, as they are more vulnerable to the infection,” Dr Bhansali said.

People with co-morbid conditions also face similar challenges, and should be considered for the booster dose, he said.

"European countries are already facing another round Covid-19 cases. As we have introduced more relaxations, we should be ready to face a similar wave of infections somewhere in February or March 2022,” he said.

“Instead of reacting in panic, we should be prepared for the third wave in India. It is established that vaccine doses help increase immunity against the severity of the infection. It will be good if we think of a booster dose now,” Dr Bhansali said.

Speaking in a similar vein, a member of the Maharashtra State Covid-19 task force said, “Vaccine doses are available and we should utilise them to make our lives safer.”

The issue of vaccine hesitancy is being addressed by the Central and the state governments. Concentrated efforts should be made to keep fresh infections in check, he said.

"One way to achieve this is by administering a third dose of the vaccine to people engaged in healthcare services and government officials. Such a measure will help keep a check on the spread of infection,” another doctor said.

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