Omicron invades the community and the risk of infection rises! Should the third dose of additional vaccine be Moderna, BNT or high-end?
The local epidemic is coming back near the end of the year! A booster shot should be given 12 weeks after the 2 doses of vaccine
As the Chinese New Year is approaching and the epidemic is resurgent, local cases are reported one after another among Taoyuan cleaning staff and Taoyuan Golden Voice Fan Club. The new coronavirus may face a new wave of community infection. Currently, 8,924 people at Taoyuan Airport have undergone PCR testing and 3 people have been diagnosed. The current genetic sequencing is all Omicron virus. The command center also announced on January 7 that in order to enhance individual and group immunity, Taiwanese people over the age of 18 who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for 12 weeks should receive an additional dose of the vaccine.
Large-scale population movements during the year-end holidays tend to increase the spread of the virus. In addition, the longer vaccination takes, the protection against the virus may gradually decrease. Dr. Weng Zi-min of the Department of Family Medicine of Yadong Hospital said that 80% of Taiwan’s population has now completed the first dose of vaccination, and the vaccination rate for the second dose is also catching up. However, as time passes from vaccination and the virus continues to mutate, it is necessary to continue to maintain and update protection.
Many people are worried about whether vaccines are ineffective against mutant viruses. Dr. Weng Zimin from the Department of Family Medicine of Yadong Hospital said that the Omicron mutant virus is more transmissible than previous generations of COVID-19 viruses, but the current death cases are almost all incomplete. For people who have been vaccinated, it is clear that the vaccine still has the protective power to prevent severe illness and death.
Which brand should be used for the third dose of additional vaccine?
The Epidemic Command Center announced that according to the expert resolution of the Advisory Committee on Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (ACIP) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the manufacturer’s recommendations for the third dose of additional vaccination are as follows:
Complete the basic dose with mRNA vaccine (such as Moderna, BNT) or protein subunit vaccine (such as high-end): for additional doses, you can choose to receive Moderna (half dose), BNT, high-end or AZ vaccine
Complete the basic dose with AZ: For additional doses, you can choose to receive mRNA or protein subunit vaccines.
How to choose the first and second doses of mixed vaccine?
Dr. Weng Zimin explained that for people who have not yet received the second dose, it is recommended to mix vaccines of different brands for the second dose. If the first dose is high-end, you can choose high-end or mRNA vaccines (Moderna, BNT) for the second dose. ); those who received the AZ or mRNA vaccine for the first dose can choose AZ, Moderna, BNT, or high-end for the second dose.
As for those with low immunity or incomplete immunity, and people over 12 years old, they should give priority to the third dose of mRNA vaccine (Moderna, BNT) or subunit protein vaccine (such as high-end) 28 days after the second dose. Additional dose.
Omicron is not yet weak enough to completely prevent the epidemic from being relaxed.
Frontline physician Lin Thi Pik pointed out on Facebook that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in major cities such as New York, Washington, and Chicago has exceeded the number during the Alpha epidemic last winter, and the number of people in intensive care units and cases requiring ventilators are also rising. , still needs to be closely observed in the future.
Dr. Lin Thi Pik reminded that although Omicron is a weakened new coronavirus, it is not completely weakened and cannot be completely dismissed as a cold. It is too contagious for public health and the medical system will be faced with a formidable enemy. People who have been vaccinated will have certain protection against serious illness, but “the enemy has changed” calls for epidemic prevention measures not to be relaxed.
Dr. Lin Thi Pik analyzed that regardless of the first two doses, the RNA vaccine is the first choice for the third dose of vaccine. For people who received the first two doses of RNA vaccine, the additional combination of AZ is okay, but the neutralizing antibodies are no better than those who received the RNA vaccine. As for those who took the first two doses of high-end, high-end recently released data showing that the third dose still has good neutralizing antibodies to Omicron. They can also take RNA vaccine instead, and the neutralizing antibodies will theoretically be higher.
Should the third dose of booster vaccine be Moderna BNT High-end or AZ? Does it work on Omicron?
