Coronavirus: China recommends booster shots for high-risk groups

Name: China under pressure as Nanjing airport coronavirus cluster spreads to 15 cities
Uploaded: 2021-08-27T13:30:21.000Z
Duration: 2 min 37 s
Description: China under pressure as Nanjing airport coronavirus cluster spreads to 15 cities

More research needed to see if extra shots should be given to the general public

Additional doses offer greater protection even though neutralising antibody levels fall after six months, health official says

Reading Time:3 minutes

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China is racing to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus. Photo: AFP

Zhuang Pinghuiin Beijing

Published: 9:30pm, 27 Aug 2021Updated: 10:46pm, 28 Aug 2021

Beijing has recommended Covid-19 booster shots for high-risk and vulnerable groups, but said further study is needed before extra jabs are considered for the general public.

The recommendation comes as China races to inoculate its vast population to reach herd immunity. By Thursday, more than 2 billion doses had been administered, with 1.07 billion people given at least one dose. More than 889 million people, or 63 per cent of the total population, have been fully inoculated, according to the National Health Commission.

In recent months, some countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, that used inactivated vaccines by Chinese firms Sinopharm and Sinovac, have announced third doses of various technologies to boost protection for the elderly or health workers.

Citing studies by Sinopharm and Sinovac, Zheng Zhongwei, head of medical science development at the NHC, said a booster shot would offer greater protection even though the levels of neutralising antibodies – an indicator of protection induced by vaccines – still dropped six months after the booster was given.

The studies observed a rapid rise in the levels of antibodies three days after the third shot was given, rising to 15-30 times the original level by 14 days. Levels dropped after six months but still exceeded the peak of the two-dose vaccination.

“From this perspective of immunogenicity, we feel that the protection can be enhanced with the booster shot,” Zheng said.

02:37

China under pressure as Nanjing airport coronavirus cluster spreads to 15 cities

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