WHO Recommends Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Shot For These People (Booster Available In India?)

Amid a number of speculations made globally around the virulence of the novel Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and the efficiency of vaccines against the strain, WHO has clarified that while the new strain is transmissible and has higher chances of mutating more frequently, it is not any more severe than the variants that came earlier to it, like the delta variant.

Now, the health organization recommends all the immuno-compromised people to get a booster shot of vaccine amid different variants of the Covid-19.

WHO on Booster Covid Shot

On Thursday, the vaccine advisory panel of WHO recommended immunocompromised people, meaning people with weak immunity to receive a Covid-19 booster shot, along with the ones who received an inactivated vaccine.

Amid growing concerns around the Omicron variant of the Covid-19, many countries are rolling out a third dose or a booster shot of the vaccine for individuals having weak immunity and elderly people. However, worries about the constantly mutating Covid-19 variants indicate a booster shot necessary for all individuals.

On Tuesday, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts or SAGE held a meeting to evaluate the necessity of Covid-19 booster shots, post which the chairperson of the meet Alejandro Cravioto stated that the efficacy of vaccines reduces against the Covid-19 and more so in older people, while WHO has been administering primary doses instead of boosters, and prefers the latter over the former.

Kate O’Brien, the director of WHO’s immunisation department stated that the vaccines for Covid-19 provide good enough protection against the disease for about 6 months after the last dose with some “minor, modest reduction” in protection, cites a TOI report.

WHO Clarifies Stance on Omicron Variant

Amid the highly speculated Omicron strain, Michael Ryan, the director of WHO told the news agency AFP that there is no data, as of yet to validate that the new variant is any more deadlier or more severe compared to the delta strain. 

A WHO official has, however, ensured that the new variant is more easily transmissible and has higher chances of mutation. He said that the existing vaccines should appear effective to the ones contracting the disease.

“We have highly effective vaccines that have proved effective against all the variants so far, in terms of severe disease and hospitalisation, and there’s no reason to expect that it wouldn’t be so [for Omicron]”, added the official.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday cautioned that people who have already contracted Covid-19 in the past, are more susceptible to Omicron.