3rd vaccine shot can boost immunity by up to 5 times, says expert

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KUALA LUMPUR: A third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, given six months after the second dose, can lead to a strong, three to five-fold boost in immune response, a health expert says.

Pharmaniaga Berhad vaccine specialist Dr Ajit Pal Singh Raina said the results of a recent immune-persistence study by Sinovac showed that two doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine induced good immunogenicity.

Although neutralising antibody levels declined after six months, a two-dose vaccination schedule generated a strong immune memory, he said in an article published on the Bernama news portal today.

“Hence, will a booster shot be necessary? The third dose of CoronaVac effectively boosts neutralising titers and provides a better immuno-protection response. This pattern is consistent with other vaccines like AstraZeneca, showing higher concentrations of total Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies after a third dose.

“It is also worth mentioning that timing for a booster dose is critical and not to be given too early,” he said.


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