The UAE’s plan to provide booster dose to citizens and expatriates who received Sinopharm vaccine is an excellent move based on science and will ensure maximum protection.
Announcing the plan on Tuesday, UAE’s health sector spokesperson Dr Farida Al Hosani said the booster shot will be given six months after the second dose. The UAE began administering Sinopharm on December 9 and the booster shot is expected to be available from July.
Booster dose is not a new concept nor is it unique to the Chinese vaccine. Last month, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla talked about a third booster dose within 12 months of two shots.
“A likely scenario is that there will be a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed. And again, the variants will play a key role,” Bourla said in an interview to a TV channel.
While the vaccination is in full swing, the UAE should consider gathering immunological memory data that will help us understand if vaccinated individuals will require annual shots in future.
The UAE may be one of the first countries to roll out the booster dose as it inches towards blanket inoculation. Dr Al Hosani said the UAE has administered 11.5 million doses, covering 73.88 per cent of all eligible groups aged 16 and over, with 80.33 per cent of them being over 60.
Filling the immunity gap
As the vaccination drive proceeds at a healthy rate, the UAE is right in planning a booster dose because immune response in vaccinated population is not uniform. This third dose is expected to fill the immunity gap, if any, among individuals with low antibodies.
While the booster shot will be available to entire vaccinated population, some health experts feel that not all will require third dose and inoculated individuals can opt for antibody test to check antibody level against the virus.
Still, given the unpredictable nature of the virus and its ability to mutate into virulent strains, it is advisable to opt for the booster dose. It is not immediately clear if this additional shot will be voluntary or mandatory.
The UAE is on track to vaccinate all eligible individuals and is expected to be first to achieve hundred per cent inoculation. This will allow the country to further ease restrictions, open up businesses and facilitate international travel of expatriates to countries that insist on vaccination.
While the vaccination is in full swing, the UAE should consider gathering immunological memory data that will help us understand if vaccinated individuals will require annual shots in future.
