Raising questions on the Government’s strategy to repeat booster dose called “precaution dose” of the original Covid vaccine, a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that such a method is not a viable strategy against emerging variants. The global agency has called for new jabs that better protect against transmission.
A growing body of evidence indicates that the Omicron Covid variant is not only far more transmissible than previous variants but also better at dodging some vaccine protections.
“A vaccination strategy based on repeated booster doses of the original vaccine composition is unlikely to be appropriate or sustainable,” the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Covid-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-Co-VAC) said in a statement here.
India, which recently launched the drive to administer “precaution dose” to vulnerable populations has ruled out any mix and match of vaccines. Rather, the third dose will be the same vaccine the people have received for their first and second doses.
However, the group of experts from the WHO, who are working to assess the performance of Covid-19 vaccines, called for the development of new vaccines that not only protect people who contract Covid against falling seriously ill but also better prevent people from catching the virus in the first place, in order to deal with emerging Covid variants such as Omicron.
“Covid-19 vaccines that have a high impact on the prevention of infection and transmission, in addition to the prevention of severe disease and death, are needed and should be developed,” the group said.
This, it said, would help lower “community transmission and the need for stringent and broad-reaching public health and social measures”.
It also suggested that vaccine developers should strive to create jabs that “elicit immune responses that are broad, strong, and long-lasting in order to reduce the need for successive booster doses”.
As the virus evolves and until new vaccines are available, “the composition of current Covid-19 vaccines may need to be updated”, the group said.
According to the WHO, 331 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world. The UN health agency has so far given its stamp of approval to versions of eight different vaccines.
Earlier this week, Pfizer Inc chief executive Albert Bourla said a redesigned Covid-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant is likely to be needed and his company could have one ready to launch by March.