Doctors say a second dose of the vaccine is mandatory as the variant spreads

PITTSBURGH — Millions have been vaccinated with the full amount of the COVID-19 vaccine since the country’s vaccination began in December, but as the original virus and its variants spread, health professionals are different. He states that he is concerned about the group, the people who received the first dose. It’s not the second of a two-dose course like Pfizer and Moderna.

Doctors say they hope that continuing education and understanding can help fill the gap.

Recent concerns have focused on delta variants of the virus that are spreading from India to the United Kingdom and now to the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, highly contagious mutants have recently become predominant in the United States, accounting for 51.7% of new cases.

Dr. Richard Zimmerman, a vaccine policy expert at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “Part of the reason we want people to provide a complete vaccine series is the need for protection against these variants. Delta is the last It’s not a variant. ” Zimmerman also practices family medicine with a focus on UPMC’s flu vaccine.

Dr. Amy Crawford-Faucher, Vice-Chairman of Family Medicine at the Allegheny Health Network, said he was not sure how exactly the data contained the gap between the first and second shots. She said in May that AHN gave many first doses to college students in Pittsburgh and then returned to potentially out-of-state homes before they were eligible for a second injection.

“They may have got it, but we don’t have access to that data,” Crawford Forcher said.

Still, doctors are asking people to finish the vaccine course. They emphasize that a single dose (if a double dose is recommended) may not provide sufficient protection against future variants of the vaccine.

Two cases of delta mutations have already been found among Allegheny County residents in the April and May samples, according to Dr. Debra Bogen, director of Allegheny County Health.

In the UK, healthcare providers extend the interval between first and second vaccinations, and a single dose is about one-third effective in protecting individuals from delta mutations that spread more rapidly than full-course meals. Zimmerman said he discovered that.

A new study by a team of French researchers, published Thursday, found that a single dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca “littlely inhibits” the delta mutant. However, studies have shown that when both doses were given, a “neutralization reaction” occurred in 95% of individuals against the mutant.

As the number of variants grows, Zimmerman said, “Two doses will really be needed to get enough protection.”

There are also other concerns about the health effects of catching older versions of the virus.

“I’m telling people who are in a bad mood or who don’t feel they need a second dose. Yes, you’re probably pretty well protected from being hospitalized or dying from COVID. It’s been done. That’s great. A step in the right direction. ” “But if you’re still at risk of getting COVID, you can get that long-range COVID. This is a very worrying condition that is currently affecting millions of people. There are no good endpoints or cures, so I just say I’m done. Get it done. “

Between the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, Crawford Forcher said that just before the second dose in the third week, a person’s immunity increased from just about 20% to about 80%. Said.

Crawford-Faucher added that even four weeks after receiving the first shot, the immunity would be about 80%. This means that 80% of individuals in this situation have “pretty good” immunity, while 20% do not.

“I don’t know which group I belong to,” Crawford Forcher added.

According to the CDC, the second dose should be taken within the recommended 3 or 4 weeks, but you can wait up to 6 weeks if needed. If an individual decides to wait longer, the CDC says the vaccination process does not have to start over.

But if he wants to finish the course but is worried that he may have missed the six-week mark, Zimmerman said the booster effect for the second shot should still be there.

“As long as a person has immunity, they don’t develop cancer, etc., so that even a year later, the idea of ​​increasing the first and second doses is not compromised. “Zimmerman said. “Therefore, you don’t have to restart the series. You can restart from where you left off, but that window is a problem because there may be an inadequate protective window between the first and second doses. Become.”

Crawford-Faucher believes that healthcare providers don’t really know what would happen if an individual took a second shot six months after the first shot, but the booster effect would be preserved. Added.