July 3 (IndiaToday) – With the unavailability and shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in most parts of the world, many are wondering whether one dose of a two-dose vaccine will be sufficient.
The experts think that a single dose might protect a person against the coronavirus, but not nearly as much as two doses would do.
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Despite the scarcity of the jabs, experts have recommended getting fully vaccinated, especially with the worrisome India-born Delta variant evolving and mutating in nearly 100 countries. According to WHO, the Delta variant is emerging to be the most dominant variant of Covid-19 so far.
A study by British researchers discovered that people with both doses of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were well protected against the Delta variant. While a single dose significantly reduced safety.
To contain the spread of the Delta variant in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently delayed the lifting of remaining restrictions to get more people the full two doses. The country might also inoculate its population with a third booster dose.
The Covid-19 vaccines, which are being administered globally, were developed keeping in mind the original version of the virus detected in late 2019.
Even though the jabs seem to have worked against the newer variants so far, such as Alpha, Beta, Delta, etc, there’s a concern that the vaccines might lose their efficacy if the virus keeps mutating.
Shortage of vaccine major concern
Health officials across the globe are also worried about countries that are facing a shortage of vaccines. Many countries in South Asia and Africa don’t have enough supply to distribute the second doses within the recommended time frame.
World Health Organization Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has advocated for a complete vaccination with two doses. He believes a single dose won’t be enough to stop outbreaks caused by the new variants.
Dr Tedros also appealed to people to keep adhering to social distancing and other measures until more of the population is fully vaccinated.
The second dose of a two-dose vaccine is critical because it’s what “really gives a boost to the immune system so that the antibody response is very strong,” says Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
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