Against the World Health Organization (WHO) wishes, Britain will start vaccinating its vulnerable citizens against the coronavirus a third time from next month. This is reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph. So far, only Israel has embarked on the third round of jabs.
The core of the discussion about a third corona jab is not whether such a ‘booster dose’ offers more protection, but at which level that protection is most needed: nationally or globally? Three weeks ago, the WHO called on rich countries to refrain from the third round of vaccinations because of a worldwide shortage of vaccines. “We are now making conscious choices not to protect those in need,” warned Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
For the British government, its own population comes first. In the UK, 56 percent of the population has already received a second vaccine dose. According to The Telegraph, people aged 50 and over and other vulnerable groups will be able to get a third shot in their upper arm from next month.
Britain is following Israel’s example. Since last Sunday, people over 60 can get a third vaccination there. The first third jab went to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. So far, Israel is the only country to offer this opportunity.
In Britain, pharmacies will play a key role in the third round of vaccinations. The campaign could start as early as September 6. By administering an average of almost 2.5 million third doses per week, all vulnerable people should be additionally protected by early December. A government source tells The Telegraph that the third corona jab may be combined with the annual flu shot: a needle in each arm.
The concerned British ministers consider giving people a different booster shot than the injection they received for their first and second doses because combining vaccines could lead to increased immunity.
Pharmaceuticals Pfizer and BioNTech have also asked the US and European health authorities for permission to administer their vaccine a third time in humans. According to them, an extra shot can significantly increase antibodies in a person’s body. Ideally, the third shot would follow six to 12 months after the second shot.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US equivalent of Sciensano, does not consider a third vaccine dose necessary at this time. Anthony Fauci, the chief health adviser to the Biden administration, also thinks it is far too early to talk about the need for a third shot.
