BackCOVID: Will immunity from vaccines wane completely over time? WHO explains what happens after that
We do see waning of immunity from COVID vaccines over time and that is why it is critical to take more than one dose, WHO officials said
PremiumWith COVID cases surging again globally again, World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of three important facts to look at - the emergence of new variants, withdrawing COVID rules too soon and also, waning of immunity acquired from the vaccines over time. WHO has time and again pointed out that these three factors together are causing the fresh surge globally. Regarding waning of immunity from vaccines, the UN health agency said, “We do see waning over time and that is why it is critical to take more than one dose"
Will the immunity from COVID vaccines wane completely over time?
Answering this, WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove COVID-19 vaccines are incredibly effective in preventing severe disease and deaths. We do see waning over time and that is why we take more than one dose. And as we enter the 3rd year of the pandemic, we expect to see some waning over time. It depends on the type of vaccines you have taken, the number of doses and also age and underlying conditions.
Are countries looking at another surge due to the waning of vaccine protection?
We will inevitably see more surges but these surges will continue to lower as more and more people get vaccinated and depending on what measures are taken to prevent the virus, how individuals respond to it, said Regional Emergencies Director Babatunde Olowokure
Hence, it is extremely important that people get vaccinated and follow the COVID protocols.
What is WHO's stand on 3rd and 4th dose?
Speaking on the 4th dose, the WHO official said, it is really critical that people get vaccinated. “But, first our focus is to make vaccines accessible to those who have not even received a single dose of them. And, once that process is complete then we will focus more on the 4th dose," Kerkhove adds.
Earlier, WHO officials spoke about the importance of vaccination pointing out that the majority of deaths remain amongst the unvaccinated, and older individuals and people with underlying conditions who have not received the full course of effective vaccines. Dr. Van Kerkhove had said, that the data shows that COVID-19 vaccines remain ‘incredibly’ effective to prevent severe disease and death, including against Omicron.
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