Third vaccine dose after 5 months: what Bassetti, Pregliasco and Crisanti say

Third dose of covid vaccine after 5 months and not after 6. The proposal makes its way in Italy, in the wake of what is happening in Great Britain, and is welcomed with different reactions by the experts. “We need to change the strategy against Covid, imitate the United Kingdom and offer the third dose first, 5 months after the second”, said Alessio D’Amato, councilor for health of the Lazio Region, triggering the debate. Read also “We must be careful. From what I understand the councilor for Health of Lazio is not a professor of infectious diseases, he is not an expert. Where does this data come from? How do you say that you can vaccinate with the third dose after 5 months? Pay attention to giving certain messages “, because” in this way people believe less and less in vaccinations, “Matteo Bassetti, head of the infectious diseases department of the San Martino hospital in Genoa, told Adnkronos Health. “Why do politicians launch into these considerations? Saying let’s do it sooner or later, so there is only confusion”, remarks Bassetti. “Anticipating the call to five months has its own logic, we have to see if all this is feasible from the point of view logistics of the health system. It would be appropriate because it anticipates the fall of protection “, says Andrea Crisanti, professor of microbiology at the University of Padua, this morning to ‘Buongiorno’ on Sky Tg24. “It must be said – underlines Crisanti – that the third dose completely restores the protection, the data of Israel from this point of view are unequivocal”. The third dose of the anti Covid vaccine at 5 months “can also be assessed on the basis of the ‘trend of this tail-hit of the virus “because the recall made” one month less away guarantees greater protection “, Fabrizio Pregliasco, virologist at the University of Milan, told Adnkronos Salute. “This is what has been done a bit in England too – recalls Pregliasco – but it is clear that we must find a way to apply and organize it in the best possible way”. From a medical point of view, however, shortening the recall distance certainly “gives an element of reinforcement in this phase in which the risk exists. A bit like the booster dose for the frail”. But then the effectiveness of the vaccine will it expire sooner? “Of course it will expire a little earlier. It is clear that we should see what the future will be but I believe – concludes the doctor – that, after this round, the vaccination will be similar to that of the flu and therefore dedicated to the frail and the most exposed. and then maybe, for a fee, for those who want it “.” The serious cases of Covid in vaccinated people are very few and are observed in subjects with serious concomitant diseases. But nothing against the possibility of anticipating the third dose “of vaccine,” above all in these cases of frail people and in the elderly. I see no problems in following this path “, says Mario Clerici.” The point is that there is no type of rationale that says that one should have the vaccine after one, rather than 4 o 6 or 12 months – he explains to Adnkronos Salute – It is an evolving situation. And what has been seen is that essentially the amount of antibodies in circulation tends to decrease a lot around 6 months. But there is no basis scientific that says that the recall must f arlo at 4 or 8 months. It is an attempt to understand what is the most valid timing. It has been said 6 months, but if you do it at 4 months in the most fragile subjects and in the elderly, nothing changes. The real problem is that we don’t know what the minimum amount of antibodies it protects. In any case, I see no obstacles in anticipating the third dose by a month for these particular groups, it does absolutely no harm. It could be done”.