A third dose of AstraZeneca can be an effective booster

According to the University of Oxford, the third dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine can be an effective booster without the need for touch-ups.

According to their analysis, giving a third dose about six months after the second significantly increases antibodies and the body’s ability to fight coronavirus infection, including variants.

The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the preparation, admitted to the media that it is not yet known if the population will need a booster next fall. Still, new data shows that the current vaccine may be effective.

Data from health authorities already indicate that the two doses of AstraZeneca provide good protection to avoid hospitalizations due to covid or death, both from the alpha (formerly British) or delta variant (detected in India).

“There are currently no indications as to whether we need backups, and we need to keep looking at the data and making decisions as the months go by,“ the expert added.

The UK has already vaccinated 84.1% of the adult population with the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 61.6% of adults have already received both doses.

In recent weeks, the United Kingdom has registered a strong rebound in covid infections due to the rapid spread of the delta variant, which has forced the Government to delay the lifting of all restrictions to July 19.