Public Health approves the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunosuppressed people
The additional dose must be taken at least 28 days after receiving the second injection.
La third dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 has been approved by the Public Health Commission this Tuesday. The measure is aimed at those people in a serious situation immunosuppression, that is, they have a high risk of getting infected of the disease despite already being vaccinated with both doses of the serum.
Specifically, as the health authorities have reported, the extra dose to complete the vaccination schedule it will be possible for people with a solid organ transplant, hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and people being treated with anti-CD20 drugs as well as for patients with lymphoma and leukemia.
The third dose, 28 days after the second
El Ministry of Health and the rest of the communities put an end to one of the most frequently asked questions since they began to be diagnosed new positives in COVID-19 despite having been immunized against the disease. The final recommendation has been made from the Vaccine Presentation and the COVID-19 Vaccination Technical Working Group (GTT).
Following the advice of the studies carried out at the moment, the additional dose should be given at least 28 days having received the second puncture. This rule excludes those people being treated with anti-CD20 drugs -such as rituximab or veltuzumab-, which must be administered after six months since the end of therapy.
The third dose should preferably be same type of vaccine than that administered previously in addition to mRNA.
Expand research on additional dosing
For the moment, the good news will be directed only to the aforementioned group of the population. As stated by the ministry of Carolina Darias, “at this time there is no available solid data that they recommend administering a booster dose to the rest of the population".
Likewise, the GTT has also recommended continue review de the benefits which can mean a extra dose about other groups in immunosuppression situation that for now have been excluded, such as oncohematological patients undergoing treatment chemo-radiotherapy and in those with underlying pathologies that require immunosuppressive treatment.
