Third vaccine dose before 6 months, Rezza: “Wouldn’t have negative effects”

Anticipating the third dose of the Covid vaccine a little would have no negative effects. This was explained by Gianni Rezza, general director of Prevention of the Ministry of Health, in his speech at the press conference on the analysis of the data of the COVID-19 regional monitoring of the control room. “At the international level, almost all countries wait 6 months from the completion of the primary cycle for the anti Covid vaccine booster”. “Shortening this interval a little would have no negative effects and could speed up the campaign. It is certainly an element to be evaluated with some attention” says Rezza. Read also INFECTIOUS GROWTH “The data speak quite clearly: we have a tendency to increase the incidence and a tendency, albeit gradual and slow, to an increase in the employment rate of the medical and intensive care areas. Without alarming, it is a situation that from the point of view of the evolution of the epidemiological picture it shows a tendency towards a certain worsening. But we are well below the values ​​recorded in Eastern and Central Europe “underlines the Director of Prevention of the Ministry of Health. clear but slow “case” growth. But thanks also to the vaccination coverage that has been a success, and with some measures such as the Green pass, we need to have a balanced vision. Not optimistic, but cautious. We are confident in the continuation of the vaccination campaign. “SWABS Then, answering the question about the reliability problem of rapid swabs highlighted by several experts, Rezza observes:” Rapid antigen tests may have a lower sensitivity with false negative results. But with the Delta variant the viral load is higher and therefore you should have less of this problem. On the other hand, molecular antigen tests are more complex and it is difficult to repeat them over time. But the evaluation of the use must be made on the basis of the moment “.” The problem is that the rapid antigenic swabs compared to the molecular tests can have lower sensitivity – adds Rezza – So the possibility of false negatives cannot be excluded, especially if the charge viral is not high. With Delta variant infection the viral load is actually high, so this problem may be lower. Moleculars have a greater sensitivity, but it is also true that they are more elaborate and the response is in longer times. So the advantage of antigenic tests is that they can be done repeatedly on individuals and on the community. They have been widely used and provide, in some way, an instrument of public health control at the community level and allow the control of the infection “.