Up-to-date covid vaccines, Pregliasco: “Plan recalls even for those who have taken the fourth dose”

“For now, the updated anti-Covid vaccines will have to be made by people who have not yet received the third or fourth dose. But in perspective, even for those who, like me, did the second booster this summer, a recall will be necessary in the near future. “. Virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, professor of Hygiene at the State University of Milan, is convinced of this, commenting on the ministerial circular to Adnkronos Health which dictates the categories to which the new bivalent Wuhan / Omicron 1 vaccines should be recommended as a priority. ” preliminaries – he explains – relating to the most stringent priorities “which according to the expert will be progressively extended in the months to come. The invitation is therefore to “plan the vaccination campaign” taking it into account. Read also “Compared to a fifth dose – recalls Pregliasco – in the USA the CDCs in Atlanta have already given indications to do it even after at least 2 months from the fourth, even if there were conflicting opinions in the committee of experts. We know that vaccination doses too close it is not that they are bad, but they do not maximize the immune response to the booster. Therefore I believe that for those who have already taken the fourth dose it will be necessary to understand what to do at 4-6 months. It will also be a question of seeing the availability of vaccines – specifies the virologist – but I believe that, in view of coexistence with the virus that will remain with us, it would be good to give the most extensive recommendation possible to extend the coverage times and reach the goal of an annual Covid-flu vaccination “.” We must start doing this campaign “, reiterates Pregliasco, hoping therefore as a” bet for the future “the extension of the offer of new vaccines and setting an updated annual reminder as a goal influence model. As for the chances of success that the bivalents adapted to Omicron 1 may have, while the vaccines aimed at Omicron 4 and 5 are already looming on the horizon, the expert renews the appeal “not to wait for the ‘latest model'”. “Unfortunately – observes the virologist – the communication on vaccines was a bit like that done on mobile phones, for which already 6 months earlier it is said that the new model will be released and therefore no one buys anything waiting for the launch until the launch. more performing device. Communicating like this was a big mistake, which compromised adherence to the campaign for the fourth doses: only 30% of the over 80s, 13% of the over 70s and 7% of the over 60s did it , and this is bad because it is known that after some time the protection of both the recovery from the disease and, even more so, of vaccination is reduced, also in the light of the circulation of new variants “. Pregliasco’s warning is not to repeat the mistake, risking also to discourage vaccination with bivalents, which could be perceived as ‘born old’. “We remember – he points out – that it has been shown that the original vaccine already has the ability to stimulate a cross-reactive response against the new variants, so much so that what remains to be done for those who begin the immunization cycle”.