Find out more about how this website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience.
Accept Cookies
The most crucial lifesaving weapon we have in this epidemic is vaccination against the virus that causes COVID-19. Fortunately, the vaccines that have been approved in the United States have proven to be extremely safe and effective. And we've understood since the beginning that the powerful protection they provide would eventually wear off. But has protection deteriorated to the point that booster doses are required? This potential has been highlighted by studies published in the last several months by researchers in the UK, Israel, and the US (reviewed here and here), and Israel and the UK have already begun aggressive booster programs.
First and foremost: Everyone should get vaccinated:
As you may be aware, the CDC and FDA have conducted an assessment of the necessity, safety, and impact of the vaccine. Although both agencies will examine data for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson in the weeks and months ahead, that is the only booster shot being supplied thus far. (I'll get to Pfizer's recommendations later.) But first, don't forget this: vaccinating the unvaccinated should take precedence over giving booster shots to people who have already been vaccinated. This is true for persons in the United States who have been unable or unwilling to receive the vaccine, as well as people in other countries with limited vaccine access. Not only would expanding the pool of those who received initial immunizations save more lives than marketing boosters but it would also lower COVID-related health care disparities between rich and poorer countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has advocated for a suspension of booster shots. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has pledged to provide another half-billion vaccine to low-vaccination-rate countries, bringing the total US commitment to 1.1 billion doses. Starting a booster program in the United States and assisting other nations in getting their citizens vaccinated are not mutually exclusive, according to the administration.
Is there any distinction between a booster shot and a third shot?
It's not a ruse: not all additional vaccine doses are boosters. The FDA approved a third dosage of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for immunocompromised persons in August 2021. This includes persons living with HIV and those undergoing immune-suppressing cancer treatment. The extra dose isn't considered a booster for them; it's part of their original immunization series.
When it comes to vaccine boosters, getting the timing right is crucial:
Vaccine boosters should be given no sooner than is necessary, but well before widespread protective immunity begins to wane. The dangers of waiting too long are clear: when immunity declines, infection, serious disease, and death rates may begin to climb.
However, there are drawbacks to giving boosters too early:
Side effects may be more common. While studies to date demonstrate that boosters are safe, long-term data is still lacking. The advantage may be insignificant. If the majority of people are still protected by their first vaccines, it may be best to hold off on boosters.
Future versions may not be covered by current boosters. Boosters may be changed to cover new varieties of concerns that emerge in the following months.
It's possible that delaying a booster will result in a higher immunological response. "You get far more bang out of the shot if you allow the immune response to evolve over a few months," Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said.
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination booster recommendations:
The CDC and FDA have determined that booster shots are required for some Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients. For those who are on their second dose, a booster is required at least six months later.
There are numerous unknowns:
The publication of these latest Pfizer vaccination booster recommendations raises several questions:
In the next weeks and months, expect answers to these questions.
What comes next?
The FDA and CDC are expected to alter and broaden booster guidelines based on current research reviews and analysis. Meanwhile, we should step up our efforts to vaccinate those who have not yet been vaccinated. Boosters can be useful in a variety of situations.
© 2024. All rights reserved.
The most crucial lifesaving weapon we have in this epidemic is vaccination against the virus that causes COVID-19. Fortunately, the vaccines that have been approved in the United States have proven to be extremely safe and effective. And we've understood since the beginning that the powerful protection they provide would eventually wear off. But has protection deteriorated to the point that booster doses are required? This potential has been highlighted by studies published in the last several months by researchers in the UK, Israel, and the US (reviewed here and here), and Israel and the UK have already begun aggressive booster programs.
First and foremost: Everyone should get vaccinated:
As you may be aware, the CDC and FDA have conducted an assessment of the necessity, safety, and impact of the vaccine. Although both agencies will examine data for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson in the weeks and months ahead, that is the only booster shot being supplied thus far. (I'll get to Pfizer's recommendations later.) But first, don't forget this: vaccinating the unvaccinated should take precedence over giving booster shots to people who have already been vaccinated. This is true for persons in the United States who have been unable or unwilling to receive the vaccine, as well as people in other countries with limited vaccine access. Not only would expanding the pool of those who received initial immunizations save more lives than marketing boosters but it would also lower COVID-related health care disparities between rich and poorer countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has advocated for a suspension of booster shots. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has pledged to provide another half-billion vaccine to low-vaccination-rate countries, bringing the total US commitment to 1.1 billion doses. Starting a booster program in the United States and assisting other nations in getting their citizens vaccinated are not mutually exclusive, according to the administration.
Is there any distinction between a booster shot and a third shot?
It's not a ruse: not all additional vaccine doses are boosters. The FDA approved a third dosage of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for immunocompromised persons in August 2021. This includes persons living with HIV and those undergoing immune-suppressing cancer treatment. The extra dose isn't considered a booster for them; it's part of their original immunization series.
When it comes to vaccine boosters, getting the timing right is crucial:
Vaccine boosters should be given no sooner than is necessary, but well before widespread protective immunity begins to wane. The dangers of waiting too long are clear: when immunity declines, infection, serious disease, and death rates may begin to climb.
However, there are drawbacks to giving boosters too early:
Side effects may be more common. While studies to date demonstrate that boosters are safe, long-term data is still lacking. The advantage may be insignificant. If the majority of people are still protected by their first vaccines, it may be best to hold off on boosters.
Future versions may not be covered by current boosters. Boosters may be changed to cover new varieties of concerns that emerge in the following months.
It's possible that delaying a booster will result in a higher immunological response. "You get far more bang out of the shot if you allow the immune response to evolve over a few months," Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said.
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination booster recommendations:
The CDC and FDA have determined that booster shots are required for some Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients. For those who are on their second dose, a booster is required at least six months later.
There are numerous unknowns:
The publication of these latest Pfizer vaccination booster recommendations raises several questions:
In the next weeks and months, expect answers to these questions.
What comes next?
The FDA and CDC are expected to alter and broaden booster guidelines based on current research reviews and analysis. Meanwhile, we should step up our efforts to vaccinate those who have not yet been vaccinated. Boosters can be useful in a variety of situations.
Write your first comment.
© 2024. All rights reserved.
Our aim is to offer better technology to healthcare providers who in turn can provide better care for the health seekers.
Just go to the S10.Clinic website and click on the "Book appointment" button on the homepage of the website/app, select a specialty and find the doctor of your choice. Once you select a doctor, you can click on the "Consult Online" button to select your preferred date and time.
Once you select the date and time all you have to do is sign up / login to the platform and make the payment online using your credit / debit card on the Razor pay or CC Avenue gateway. Then, you will receive the consultation link via sms / email.
Our online consultation platform is optimized for the following browsers: Google Chrome and Safari. Please ensure you are free 10 minutes prior to your appointment.
All you have to do is find a well light and quiet place with good internet connectivity, preferably a place with Wi-Fi access. Switch on your microphone (for laptop / mobile and allow browser to access it).
Please note: If you are not able to open the link please delete your browser history and cache files of your browser and try again.
This may happen due to poor internet connectivity. In such cases, please check your internet connection and if the issue persists, please reach out to us at onlineconsulting@s10.clinic with the screenshot of the error and we will get this checked from our end. You can also call us at 044-40510510.
Please note: Please ensure you have given access to your audio and video to your browser in the settings panel.
You will receive an email after the online consultation with the following - Provisional diagnosis, visit notes, prescription and follow up.
Yes. The prescription generated during the online consultation is as good as a physical prescription and will be valid for 6 months from the date of issue (as per government regulations).
You will be able to speak and interact with the doctor only for the time he has specified.
Yes. The e-prescription will be valid for offline pharmacies as well.
Safety of your data is our top priority. We have multi-level security checks, multiple data backups, and stringent policies in place to ensure your data remains safe and secure. Additionally, we are a HIPAA compliant company and we take data privacy and security very seriously. All data on S10.Clinic is secured with 256-bit encryption.
All the patients who use the S10.Clinic platform will be called and verified by our support squad before their consultation with the doctors.
You don't have to worry about it. In that case an automatic refund is initiated from our end, and it will reflect in your bank account within 6-7 business days.
Or you can reach out to us at 044-40510510 or onlineconsulting@s10.clinic and we will be happy to help you.
Don't worry if you've missed the online call with the, you can easily reschedule the call with your preferred doctor 10 minutes prior to any consultation. All you have to do is click on the "Reschedule" option in the appointment email.
Or you can reach out to us at 044-40510510 and we can book the same for you.
Please note: If you do not show up or miss an appointment after your appointment time, you won't be able to reschedule it.
You can reschedule any appointment you make 10 minutes before the consultation free of cost. If you want to reschedule any appointment after the consultation time has started you will have to book a new appointment with your preferred doctor. No refund will be offered in such cases.
After the online consultation you will receive a feedback form where you can rate your experience and tell us what went well, what we need to work on. We take your feedback very seriously and this helps us to improve our app and our services.
We're always there for you! You can reach out to our Support Squad at 044-40510510 or send us an email at onlineconsulting@s10.clinic. You can also dm us on Facebook we will be happy to assist you.
Comments
Write your first comment.