On the third dose of the anti Covid vaccine to all, “politics will have to go back to what will be the scientific indications, the important thing is to be prepared when the time comes”. Thus the Undersecretary of Health Andrea Costa, guest of ‘Agorà’ on RaiTre. But what are the hypotheses in the field for the ‘booster’ dose, now administered to the immunosuppressed? Here are the words of the experts on the subject.
Read also PREGLIASCO – “At the moment the FDA has said to vaccinate fragile people with the third dose, after which we will see in the autumn-winter, where unfortunately I believe that there will be a tail blow from the virus and then perhaps we will have to make a universal recall . But I imagine a prospect where the anti-covid vaccine will join the anti-flu vaccine, in the same way, that of offering the annual booster especially to the people most at risk “. This was stated by virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, Irccs Galeazzi health director in Milan, who spoke at ‘264 zoom’ on Cusano Italia Tv. “Today we are starting with immunosuppressed people, something different from what will be done in the near future in terms of recall for the people most at risk – continued Pregliasco -. It is recognized that there is a need to do an additional dose, a three-dose schedule for immunosuppressed people and the third dose can be done already 28 days after the second because it is precisely a cycle of confirmation and reinforcement. In the short term, however – he observes – it has already been decided to give a reinforcement, perhaps a periodic reminder, therefore not a third dose in the strict sense, for older people, in particular those who he is hospitalized in the rsa, for health workers, because it has been seen that these vaccines after 6 months begin to lose some effectiveness in preventing infection. This does not worry us too much because for coronaviruses not even the healed are sure to remain protected “. GALLI – “The check must be made on people who have not responded to the vaccine and on these specific strategies must be made”. This was stated by Massimo Galli, full professor of Infectious Diseases at the State University of Milan and head physician at the Sacco hospital in the Lombard capital, guest of ‘Agorà’ on RaiTre, commenting today on the start of the third dose for immunosuppressed and frail people. come from Israel on the third dose “they give us a series of important information so, taking into account that it is something that is done in the over 60s, in age groups considered from 60-69 years, from 70-79 years, and in the over 80 years old, the feeling is of an important recovery in those who had a response that probably was not the desired one “, highlights Galli. “But there is no verification, which is based on the need to evaluate among these those who just did not respond to the first and who instead responded today. This verification on bone marrow transplants was carried out in France – warns the virologist – and it shows that in these patients who are among the most immunosuppressed there was an antibody response at the first dose of 4% which becomes 44% after the second and 68% after the third dose. So but there is a good percentage that does not respond own”. RASI – “There is not enough data for a third dose at all, but it is right to start with frail people, health workers and over 65. It is the indication of the FDA and will probably be that of the EMA”. So Guido Rasi, former Ema director, full professor of Microbiology in Rome Tor Vergata and consultant to General Figliuolo, in an interview in La Stampa. On the immunity that according to some studies drops after two doses, Rasi explains that “measurable immunity drops – he explains -, an alarm to be investigated, but that’s not all. Israel has noticed a resumption of infections, but without consequences. Also in Italy there are similar signals but two doses here could be worth more thanks to the closures and the masks. And then the drop in antibodies is not the end of the immune memory. months, so the third dose has no sense before nine “.” There is no scientifically acceptable reason – underlines Rasi – not to get vaccinated. All fragile, sick or allergic categories can get Rna vaccines, indeed they are those who they need it most “.