COVID-19 booster dose necessary to replenish antibodies: Poonawala

Hyderabad: A hot debate is going on in the country about the COVID-19 booster dose. The Serum Institute of India (SII) Chairman Cyrus Poonawalla said that a third booster dose is necessary for those who have taken two doses of the Covishield vaccine. He said that about 7000 to 8000 people of his organization have taken the third dose.

“The antibodies decrease in the human body within 6 months of getting both the doses and hence we have prepared the third dose. It will be better for all those who have taken both the doses of Covisheild to get the third dose,” Poonawala said.

The SII Chairman said that 2 months gap between both doses shall be fine. The government, however, had fixed 3 months gap due to nonavailability of vaccines.

“Covid-19 vaccine efficacy wanes by passing of time and hence like the flu pandemic the Covid-19 vaccine should be taken every year,” Founding member of Moderna, Tone Bryn said.

There are cases of counterfeit Covishield in India, Uganda, and other African and Asian countries as reported by the World Health Organization. The vaccine launched by AstraZeneca is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. The fake vaccines have been identified at the end of July which has been impounded. After the lab analysis, the Serum Institute of India confirmed that the impounded vaccines are fake.