This week, an important milestone was reached: More than 100 million Brazilians have been vaccinated with the first or single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Scientists are seeking vaccination to win the race against the delta variable and other variables that may emerge, and they want to know how long we will be protected. In Brazil, tests are performed with booster doses.
What science knows so far is that A few months after the second dose of any vaccine, the amount of antibodies decreases. But this does not mean that people will be vulnerable.
“When you hear the antibodies are down, don’t be afraid, because the antibodies will go down. It’s normal for them to go down, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t protected. Antibodies are the body’s first line of defense, but behind the antibodies there are other lines of defense,” he explains. Infection scientist Dennis Garrett.
It is precisely the search for antibodies that is generating controversy around the world about the application of booster doses. Israel, Germany, France, Chile and Uruguay, countries using different immunization devices, have revealed plans to provide an additional dose to groups at risk.
Research on this topic has also reached Brazil. A third dose of Pfizer is being tested on 1,160 volunteers. He took half the vaccine and the other half a placebo. On Friday (6), there was another order at a center in São Paulo.
“This study will show whether the efficacy of a vaccine given with a booster dose is significantly greater than that of people who only received two doses,” says Cristiano Zerbini, coordinator of studies at Pfizer in Brazil.
“The booster dose should only be discussed in a scientific setting. For this, we are doing a study. We may prove that there is no need.”
A third dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca has also begun to be applied in research in the country in recent weeks. And the Ministry of Health announced a study on booster doses for those who take Coronavac, on 1,200 volunteers.
The Butantan Institute, the manufacturer of Coronavac, expects to be Lovely Want to start researching about it.
“It should start this month, exactly to determine what will be the contribution of an additional dose, regardless of the first two doses. It is possible to re-vaccinate with a completely different vaccine,” says Butantan President, Dimas Covas.
The World Health Organization urged wealthy countries to postpone plans to implement the third dose en masse, while dozens of countries have barely begun to vaccinate groups at risk. According to the World Health Organization, the number of deaths from Covid in Africa has increased by 80% in the past month.
“In the case of an epidemic, this is clear: either all countries act in a connected way or those most vulnerable will suffer for a longer period, and therefore, there will be no calm country, even after the epidemic is under control,” says immunologist Gustavo Cabral.
For now, it is the progress of the first round of vaccination across Brazil – and in all countries – that will control transmission and prevent the emergence of more dangerous variants.
Listen to Fantástico’s podcasts:
