Fourth dose Covid vaccine: what Ricciardi, Pregliasco and Lopalco say

The Technical Scientific Commission of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa) has given the green light in Italy to the fourth dose of the anti-Covid vaccine for severely immunosuppressed patients, who have completed the primary course of immunization, consisting of two doses for this category plus the additional one. But, beyond the category that is part of the fragile, for all the others what will happen in the future? Are other administrations planned? Read also Walter Ricciardi, councilor of the Ministry of Health Roberto Speranza, expresses a positive opinion on the green light of the Aifa Technical Scientific Commission for the fourth dose of anti-Covid vaccine for severely immunosuppressed patients, reminding Adnkronos Health that “it has largely anticipated “this hypothesis” after the positive experience of Israel. “” Yes to a fourth dose of anti-Covid vaccine for immunosuppressed people “says Fabrizio Pregliasco, professor at the State University of Milan, patients for whom it will technically be a booster following the primary course of two doses plus one additional dose. As for a ‘booster booster’ for everyone, “at this moment it is not feasible in terms of acceptance and organization”, as well as not supported by sufficient evidence, as repeatedly reiterated by the European Medicines Agency Ema. for the general population the fourth dose is not a realistic prospect, the expert repeats that “a probable periodicity of vaccination against Covid-19 is a destiny, at least when updated products will be available in the near future” to the new circulating variants of the Sars coronavirus- CoV-2. So what we will all probably do will not be a fourth dose, but the first of a new vaccine? “The shift – confirms Pregliasco – will be towards a vaccination approach like the one we have for influenza, based on the recommendation” addressed in particular to the categories at greatest risk. The green light of the CTS of Aifa for the fourth dose of the anti-Covid vaccine for severely immunosuppressed patients “is in the things – comments to Adnkronos Salute Pier Luigi Lopalco, professor of Hygiene at the University of Salento – because also with other types of vaccinations these patients need more additional doses to try to stimulate their basic antibody response a little more. So nothing new. A green light based on literature data “. “This however – specifies the epidemiologist – must absolutely not be considered the first step for the fourth booster dose for the whole population, because they are two totally different things. In the future, for example, a fourth dose may be necessary for the elderly who have, not for pathology but for immunosenescence, a lower response to the vaccine. This is a possible path, but it has nothing to do with the generalized recall “, Lopalco repeats. Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal writes that the American regulatory body for drugs is evaluating the authorization to administer a fourth dose of Covid vaccine in the fall with Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna preparations. The Food and Drug Administration did not comment.