The World Health Organization (who) said yesterday that the review of information and scientific data related to the duration of immunity offered by vaccines against COVID-19, indicate that it lasts up to six months after receiving the second vaccine (or the single dose in the case of the Janssen vaccine).
“We have reviewed the data out there and most of it shows that immunity lasts for up to six months,” said the Director of the WHO Department of Immunization, Kate O’Brien.
The group that advises WHO on immunization issues issued the conclusions of the data analysis it has carried out in the last two days, but noted that it is too early to comment on the new Omicron variant and how it responds to vaccines.
The advisory group recommended that countries act flexibly when planning the next phases of their vaccination programs to contain the pandemic, which last week alone caused 4.1 million new confirmed infections and 52,000 deaths worldwide.
Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said booster doses of the COVID vaccine can be administered “safely and effectively” three months after the last injection and that most cases of the Omicron variant appeared to be ” mild “.
“Although the recommendation until now was to administer booster doses preferably six months later, the currently available data support the safe and effective administration of a booster dose three months after the first full vaccination schedule,” said Marco Cavaleri, responsible of the vaccination strategy of the Amsterdam-based EMA.
Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron variant and a booster shot is needed, said Ugur Sahin, the drugmaker’s co-founder and CEO.
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