Have you taken your second dosage of primary COVID-19? Are you unsure whether you should take the third dose of booster vaccine? Well, worry no more, because Puri Medical Clinic Bali is here to cover that topic for your in this following post.
So, read along and let us find how three reasons why you should take the booster vaccine.
Efficacy Wanes Overtime
You may have already known that vaccines are one of the most effective ways to build up your body’s natural immunity against diseases by injecting you with a weakened form of the disease you want to protect yourself against.
If you want to know more about vaccines and its advantages in general, you may be interested to read more at our other post here The Main Reason Why You Have To Be Vaccinated
However, is it really necessary for you to take vaccine booster against the same disease if you have already taken your vaccine shots? The simple answer is: yes, it is.
So, why are booster vaccines necessary, you ask?
According to OSF HealthCare, United States, booster doses are taken with the intent to ‘remind’ your immune system on how to fight against diseases. That’s right, your body can eventually ‘forget’ how to protect itself against diseases even after vaccinations, compromising its efficacy in the long run.
Though, it is important to know that while certain vaccines’ effectiveness can last for life, some vaccines effectiveness may wane over different periods of time for different people.
In the case of COVID-19 vaccines, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention observed that there is a significant decrease in vaccine effectiveness against certain COVID-19 variants like Delta over time, especially in the elderly people aged 65 and above.
While it is true that the same study does not find the same kind of decline in vaccine effectiveness on younger generations, are there any benefits for young people to take booster shots?
Strengthened Antibody and Increased Protection Against COVID-19
One very simple reason why you should take booster vaccines is because booster vaccine ‘solidifies’ the body’s capacity to remember how to protect against diseases.
Halodoc, Indonesia, wrote four benefits that you can get from taking your booster vaccine for COVID-19 are:
- Prevents infection from Coronavirus;
- Maintains the body’s immune system;
- Strengthens the already built antibody against Coronavirus from initial vaccine doses; and
- Increases the period of effective protection against the virus.
World Health Organization (WHO) similarly explain that taking booster shot not only means that greatly reducing risk of COVID-19 infections, but it also reduces the risks of those infected by COVID-19 from the disease becoming severe, hospitalization, or even death.
Booster vaccines. Image Source: Unsplash/Tubagus Andri Maulana
So, Which Booster Vaccine Is For You?
We glad you asked and we are very happy to answer this question.
But first, know that there are two ways vaccine dosages can be administered: homologous and heterologous.
Homologous vaccination simply means a patient is given half dosages of the same vaccine twice over certain period of time. In contrast, heterologous vaccination could be understood simply as patients being given half dosages of different vaccines against the same disease.
While both kinds of vaccination method are valid and effective in their own ways, a research posted at the New England Journal of Medicine, concludes that in some cases heterologous administration of booster vaccines for COVID-19 may have more advantages in ensuring wider and longer protection against the disease as well as lightening the burden of vaccine logistics by allowing more flexibility.
Thus, according to National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) of Indonesia, here are the following booster vaccines combinations accepted in Indonesia, both heterologous and homologous, as of 17 January 2022:
- For those vaccinated with Sinovac for their 1st and 2nd dosage
- 1 dose of Sinovac as the booster vaccine
- 1 dose of Zifivax as the booster vaccine
- 1/2 dose of Pfizer as the booster vaccine
- 1/2 or 1 dose of AstraZeneca as the booster vaccine
- For those vaccinated with Pfizer for their 1st and 2nd dosage
- 1 dose of Pfizer as the booster vaccine
- 1/2 dose of Moderna as the booster vaccine
- 1 dose of AstraZeneca as the booster vaccine
- For those vaccinated with AstraZeneca for their 1st and 2nd dosage
- 1 dose of AstraNezeca as the booster vaccine
- 1/2 dose of Pfizer as the booster vaccine
- 1/2 dose of Moderna as the booster vaccine
- For those vaccinated with Moderna for their 1st and 2nd dosage
- 1/2 dose of Moderna as the booster vaccine
- For those vaccinated with Sinopharm for their 1st and 2nd dosage
- 1 dose of Zifivax as the booster vaccine
- For those vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson for their 1st and 2nd dosage
- 1/2 dose of Moderna as the booster vaccine
By taking COVID-19 booster shots, you can increase the vaccine effectivity in your body by up to 32 times as much when compared to just taking the first and second dosages – offering you better protection and immunity against COVID-19 and its variants.
Conclusion
Even though everybody has different conditions and level of vaccines effectiveness in general, taking COVID-19 booster vaccine is better than not taking them at all.
This is because, in some cases, the vaccine effectiveness wanes over time, especially in elderly people. While for younger people, taking booster vaccines would mean significant increase in immunity and protections from the virus.
There are two methods to administer the vaccines and many more combinations in how these booster vaccines can be administered to patients, though research suggest that taking any booster vaccines will positively impact the body in strengthening its immunity.
About Puri Medical Vaccination Program
Today, vaccination offers the most effective protections for you and your loved ones from acute infectious diseases. Here at Puri Medical Clinic Bali, we provide the best quality vaccination services through our Puri Medical Vaccination Program.
We take the vaccination procedures very seriously with kids as well as with adults, that is why every injection is preceded by a physical exam. At this exam, our doctor briefly examines a patient and also answers regarding the upcoming examinations.
Our physicians will also give consultations on the recommended schedule of the preventative injections, the period of the vaccine effect, and possible side effects. They also will make sure whether there are any contraindications regarding the application of certain vaccinations.
Puri Medical Clinic only uses the vaccines they are from an approved supplier and who adhere to the conditions of storage and transport.
Vaccinations that are available in our clinic include Rabies, Flu, Viral Hepatitis A, Viral Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Whooping-cough, Measles, Rubella, Parotitis, Papilloma Virus, Poliomyelitis, Tetanus, Tuberculosis, etc.
