Booster Shots Effective In Reducing Viral Load, Decrease Transmission, Says Doctor

As the country’s vaccination program reaches new highs and we inch closer towards achieving herd immunity, there are still a few doubts people have regarding the role of antibody and booster shots.

To guide the community and provide appropriate knowledge about antibody and booster vaccines, RAK Hospital, as part of its COVID-19 Rehabilitation program launched earlier this year, in association with ARISE UAE (an UNDRR initiative),is organizing a free webinar focused on “The Role of Antibody and Booster Vaccine”.

The interactive session aims to support the society and will answer questions concerning the subject via its expert panel. The virtual event will be held on Saturday, 23^rd October 2021 from 11 am to 12 noon GST.  To register for the webinar, interested people can log onto www.rakhospitalrehab.com

“Due to numerous theories about the booster vaccine, people often get confused as to what and why should they opt for a booster dose. ‘Who needs them?’‘What is the safety and effectiveness?’‘How often is it required?’ etc. All these and many more questions will be answered through the event”, said Dr. Hafiz Ahmad, Head of COVID Lab at RAK Hospital, Asst. Professor and Clinical Microbiologist at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University and a speaker at the forthcoming session.

Dr. Hafiz further suggests testing anti-SARS COV-2 spike antibodies (Anti-S1 IgG) along with neutralizing antibodies to monitor vaccine efficacy after booster shots especially in elderly and immunocompromised population to understand functional antibodies that provide immune protection

A recent study in Israel analyzed samples from 11,000 people infected with the COVID delta variant and found booster shots reduced viral loads by a factor of four. Talking about the need for a booster dose, Dr. Satyam Parmar, Head of Department, Pathology at RAK Hospital, said, “There are three key reasons which demand a booster dose. The first, if you didn’t respond adequately to the first two doses, second if you come under the category of immunocompromised people, it is necessary to receive a third dose and also when over time the immunity achieved as a result of the vaccine wanes off. We now know that the protection attained through vaccination starts to deteriorate with time. Depending on the type of vaccine, it can last anywhere from 7 -12 months.”

“Data shows that viral load in vaccinated people is much lower compared to the unvaccinated, which means even if they get the infection, the transmission will be minimal. Booster dose further helps in lessening the load”, added Dr. Parmar.

“So far the evidence does show that the vaccines are the only way we can defeat this virus, they protect us against severe disease outcomes, hospitalization and even death. Through our webinars, we have been helping the community not just nationally but internationally as well on various issues concerning the pandemic”, said Dr. Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director, RAK Hospital and Founding Member of ARISE, UAE, the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, a network of private sector entities led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

To help improve the health prospects of the population, RAK Hospital in association with ARISE UAE, brings you a series of webinars every month on Post-COVID Maladies, Remedies and other related information.