brand logo

3rd dose only after studying 2-dose immunity

26 Aug 2021

  • Health Ministry says continuously evaluating
By Buddhika Samaraweera The Health Ministry has stated that the final decision on administering a booster shot, or third dose of the Covid-19 vaccines, should be made only after conducting an extensive study on the immunity development achieved through two doses. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (26), Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General, and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said that the provision of a third dose of Covid-19 vaccines is currently being evaluated by experts. “A continuous evaluation is currently underway,” Dr. Herath stated. “It is not possible to make an immediate decision on administering a third dose. Experts are currently studying it and only afterwards will a final decision be reached in this regard. Otherwise, a decision on giving a third dose without carrying out proper studies would indirectly promote vaccine-manufacturing companies,” he also said. Against the backdrop of rapidly rising numbers of daily Covid-19 infections and deaths, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has requested that healthcare workers be provided a booster shot or third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. They claim that the biggest threat the country would face towards the end of this year would be the risk of a new and severe strain of the virus, which could surpass the immunity created by the ongoing vaccination drive. The GMOA, on 29 July, had also informed the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) that all healthcare staff and other frontline workers needed a third dose of Covid-19 vaccines. Adding that a significant number of health staff, including doctors, have tested positive for Covid-19, the GMOA stated in a letter to the DGHS that when analysing the global trends, it is observed that certain countries have arrived at policy decisions to provide health staff and other frontline workers with a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccines. However, World Health Organisation (WHO) Head Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 14 August called for a moratorium on booster shots. “Countries with high vaccine coverage are seeing a decoupling of Covid-19 cases and deaths, whereas countries that cannot access vaccines are seeing high numbers of cases, in turn driving steep increases in related deaths. No one is safe until everyone is safe and that is why we need a moratorium on boosters,” he said.  


More News..