In a shift from its earlier stand on booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said that individuals who are most vulnerable must be prioritised for the additional jab. The latest guidelines have been revised by the WHO's principal advisory group the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE).
At a press briefing, which saw WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan and director of immunisation, vaccines and biological Dr Kate O'Brien in attendance, the United Nations health agency said that it recommends booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, starting in the highest-priority group. It added that the booster jabs must be taken nearly four to six months after receiving the first two doses.
The WHO last year had urged all high-income countries to declare a moratorium on offering booster jabs of Covid-19 vaccines until the end of 2021, citing poor vaccination coverage in multiple low-income nations, especially those in Africa. The request was made at a time when the United States, Israel, Canada and the UK, among others, had started and were pushing for more booster doses within their populations.
Watch | WHO calls out Covid booster shots as rich nations accelerate booster programmes
{{/usCountry}}Watch | WHO calls out Covid booster shots as rich nations accelerate booster programmes
{{/usCountry}}In the latest guidelines, the UN health agency said that the SAGE reviewed the increasing data on booster jabs of Covid-19 vaccines and revealed that protection from the primary two doses wanes over time.
“Boosters are part of the vaccination programme, but it doesn't mean unfettered use to all ages,” said Dr O'Brien, adding that the WHO continue to have ”highest focus" on vaccination of highest priority groups.
In the revised guidelines on WHO's “roadmap” for administering Covid-19 vaccines, the SAGE has divided priority groups into four categories - highest priority use, high priority use, medium priority use, and lowest priority use.
Priority risk groups have been defined on the basis of the extent of the severity of Covid-19 and death.
Knowing the priority risk groups:
1. Highest priority use
Older adults, health workers and immunocompromised individuals fall in this category, and the WHO has recommended to make the priority when starting to administer booster jabs of Covid-19 vaccines.
2. High priority use
This category includes adults with comorbidities, pregnant people, teachers and other essential workers, and disadvantaged sociodemographic subpopulations at higher risk of severe Covid-19. This group has been recommended to be prioritised second for booster doses.
3. Medium priority use
This group has been advised by the WHO to be prioritised third for booster jabs. It includes all other types of adult individuals, and children and adolescents with comorbidities.
4. Lowest priority use
The last group includes healthy children and adolescents. The WHO, however, has noted that booster doses for children aged below 12 has not yet been assessed.
Swaminathan said that booster doses gives that “added bit” of protection to an individual and also augments their immune response in addition to the one triggered by the primary two doses. However, she stressed on completing the primary doses, citing that no protection increases the chances of severity of Covid-19.
Talking about anti-vaccination mentality, the WHO chief scientist said that it's still a “mystery” to her as to why people are sceptical of getting jabbed. She also stated that some of the rumours being spread about Covid-19 vaccines through social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, are “outright ridiculous.” Swaminathan urged people to consult doctors to know the side effects of vaccines and not just “blindly” believe WhatsApp forwards.