Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Seniors, immunocompromised people, antibody levels: What you should know about Singapore's Covid-19 booster shots

Source Website: https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/seniors-immunocompromised-antibody-levels-what-you-should-know-about-singapore-covid-19-booster
By Kimberly Anne Lim, kimberlylim@asiaone.com, AsiaOne, 03 September 2021 at 8:38 pm


If you're 60 and above, or immunocompromised, you could be receiving your booster shots soon.
PHOTO: If you're 60 and above, or immunocompromised, you could be receiving your booster shots soon.
Picture posted by Geir Moulson, Medical Xxpress on 18 June 2021
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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-germans-jab-variant-fuels.html


With some countries such as the US, Britain and France announcing plans to roll out Covid-19 booster shots as soon as this month, the kiasu Singaporean in you might have been wondering when it'd be your turn.

Well, if you're 60 and above, or immunocompromised, you could be receiving your third jab soon.

Singapore will be rolling out its Covid-19 booster shots for seniors, residents of aged-care facilities, as well as those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised from this month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release today (Sept 3).


Singapore will be rolling out its Covid-19 booster shots for seniors, residents of aged-care facilities, as well as those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised from this month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release today (Sept 3).
PHOTO: Singapore will be rolling out its Covid-19 booster shots for seniors, residents of aged-care facilities, as well as those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised from this month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release today (Sept 3).
Photo from Unsplash
Picture posted by Kimberly Anne Lim, kimberlylim@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 03 September 2021 at 8:38 pm
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https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/seniors-immunocompromised-antibody-levels-what-you-should-know-about-singapore-covid-19-booster


Here's all you need to know about booster shots - what they are and when the rest of us might be likely to get them.

What is a booster shot?
According to WebMD, a booster shot is an additional dose of a vaccine that will help to boost your immunity. This is needed for some vaccines as their effects can diminish over time.

Booster shots aren't anything new. In fact, you've probably already received a few, such as the hepatitis B, polio, and tetanus shots.


What is a booster shot?
PHOTO: What is a booster shot?
According to WebMD, a booster shot is an additional dose of a vaccine that will help to boost your immunity. This is needed for some vaccines as their effects can diminish over time.
Picture posted by TimesJobs on 23 April 2021 at 12.00 pm
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In the case of Covid-19, booster shots are important to "pre-empt a very sharp rise in breakthrough infections", Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said today.

Who should get the Covid-19 booster shot?
A third shot is recommended for those who were immunocompromised at the time of their first two Covid-19 vaccine doses.

This includes those on cancer treatment or immunosuppressive therapy, as well as transplant patients and end-stage kidney disease patients on dialysis.

"Because of their conditions, these persons react much less to vaccination, even after two doses, meaning they cannot produce as much antibodies or activate the necessary mechanisms to fight the virus," Ong had previously said on Aug 19. "Hence, a third dose of vaccine is necessary for them."


Who should get the Covid-19 booster shot?
PHOTO: Who should get the Covid-19 booster shot?
"Because of their conditions, these persons react much less to vaccination, even after two doses, meaning they cannot produce as much antibodies or activate the necessary mechanisms to fight the virus," Ong had previously said on Aug 19. "Hence, a third dose of vaccine is necessary for them."
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According to MOH, the immunocompromised should receive a third dose of the same mRNA vaccine two months after their second dose as part of their primary course of vaccination.

Seniors are also another group recommended to receive booster shots as they are at risk of severe Covid-19 infections. Furthermore, as seniors were among the first groups vaccinated in Singapore, there is an "expected decline" of their immunity to the virus over time, MOH noted.

They should receive a booster mRNA shot six to nine months after their first two doses.


Seniors are also another group recommended to receive booster shots as they are at risk of severe Covid-19 infections.
PHOTO: Seniors are also another group recommended to receive booster shots as they are at risk of severe Covid-19 infections. Furthermore, as seniors were among the first groups vaccinated in Singapore, there is an "expected decline" of their immunity to the virus over time, MOH noted.
They should receive a booster mRNA shot six to nine months after their first two doses.
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As for the rest of the population, we'd likely have to wait and see. According to Ong, the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination is still observing the results of vaccination and booster programmes in other countries.

When will it be rolled out in Singapore?
With the first batch of seniors completing their primary courses of vaccination around March this year, they should be set to receive booster shots sometime this month, MOH said.


When will it be rolled out in Singapore?
PHOTO: When will it be rolled out in Singapore?
With the first batch of seniors completing their primary courses of vaccination around March this year, they should be set to receive booster shots sometime this month, MOH said.
Picture posted by Greg Harris, The Washington Post on 12 February 2021 at 6:00 am EST
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/02/12/covid-vaccine-senior-appointment-chicago/


More details on the implementation of the booster shot programme are to be announced later, the ministry added.

What if I got an inactivated virus vaccine like Sinovac? How long should I wait?
If you received an inactivated virus vaccine such as Sinovac or Sinopharm instead of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna mRNA vaccines used in Singapore's national vaccination programme, you might be due for a booster much sooner than the rest of the population.

The neutralising antibody levels of those with the Sinovac jabs appear to drop rapidly in six months, Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, the vice-dean of Global Health and Programme Leader of Infectious Diseases at NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, told The Straits Times.


What if I got an inactivated virus vaccine like Sinovac?
PHOTO: What if I got an inactivated virus vaccine like Sinovac? How long should I wait?
If you received an inactivated virus vaccine such as Sinovac or Sinopharm instead of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna mRNA vaccines used in Singapore's national vaccination programme, you might be due for a booster much sooner than the rest of the population.
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Neutralising antibody levels can be an indicator — though not the only determinant — of the level of protection you're getting from your Covid-19 vaccine.

To increase your protection against the virus, booster shots — either of the same vaccine or an mRNA vaccine — are an option, said Assoc Prof Hsu.

Infectious diseases specialist Dr Leong Hoe Nam told the South China Morning Post that he has seen an increasing number of patients opting for the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty jab as their third dose after receiving the Sinovac jabs.


Neutralising antibody levels can be an indicator — though not the only determinant — of the level of protection you're getting from your Covid-19 vaccine.
PHOTO: Neutralising antibody levels can be an indicator — though not the only determinant — of the level of protection you're getting from your Covid-19 vaccine.
To increase your protection against the virus, booster shots — either of the same vaccine or an mRNA vaccine — are an option, said Assoc Prof Hsu.
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"They took the Sinovac shots, did the blood test and saw low antibody levels, then opted for Pfizer as the third dose," said Dr Leong.

According to Dr Leong, the normal antibody level for someone with two Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty doses is between 1,300 and 2,000 international units per millilitre (IU/mL). However, some who took the Sinovac jab have around zero to 40 IU/mL while others have 200 to 300 IU/mL, Dr Leong added.


According to Dr Leong, the normal antibody level for someone with two Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty doses is between 1,300 and 2,000 international units per millilitre (IU/mL).
PHOTO: According to Dr Leong, the normal antibody level for someone with two Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty doses is between 1,300 and 2,000 international units per millilitre (IU/mL). However, some who took the Sinovac jab have around zero to 40 IU/mL while others have 200 to 300 IU/mL, Dr Leong added.
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Will my booster shot be the same vaccine as my first two doses?
Mixing and matching vaccines is not unheard of — some countries such as South Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia are currently mixing doses of different vaccines as part of their inoculation programmes.

While most of us here in Singapore would have gotten the same vaccine for our first two doses, it's possible that we might be offered a different vaccine for our booster shot when our turn comes around, according to a report by The Straits Times.


Will my booster shot be the same vaccine as my first two doses?
PHOTO: Will my booster shot be the same vaccine as my first two doses?
While most of us here in Singapore would have gotten the same vaccine for our first two doses, it's possible that we might be offered a different vaccine for our booster shot when our turn comes around, according to a report by The Straits Times.
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Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, a member of the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination, told the newspaper that there are pros and cons to getting a different vaccine for one's booster shot, and emphasised that it "may not be a one-size-fits-all recommendation".


Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, a member of the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination, told the newspaper that there are pros and cons to getting a different vaccine for one's booster shot, and emphasised that it 'may not be a one-size-fits-all recommendation'.
PHOTO: Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, a member of the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination, told the newspaper that there are pros and cons to getting a different vaccine for one's booster shot, and emphasised that it "may not be a one-size-fits-all recommendation".
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Seniors are also another group recommended to receive booster shots as they are at risk of severe Covid-19 infections.PHOTO: Seniors are also another group recommended to receive booster shots as they are at risk of severe Covid-19 infections. Furthermore, as seniors were among the first groups vaccinated in Singapore, there is an "expected decline" of their immunity to the virus over time, MOH noted.
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As for the rest of the population, we'd likely have to wait and see.
PHOTO: As for the rest of the population, we'd likely have to wait and see. According to Ong, the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination is still observing the results of vaccination and booster programmes in other countries.
By Kimberly Anne Lim, kimberlylim@asiaone.com, AsiaOne, 03 September 2021 at 8:38 pm
Reference
[1] Kimberly Anne Lim, kimberlylim@asiaone.com, AsiaOne, Seniors, immunocompromised people, antibody levels: What you should know about Singapore's Covid-19 booster shots, posted on 03 September 2021 at 8:38 pm, https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/seniors-immunocompromised-antibody-levels-what-you-should-know-about-singapore-covid-19-booster


Links
as soon as this month - https://www.asiaone.com/world/us-begin-offering-vaccine-booster-shots-september-get-ahead-covid-19

an additional dose of a vaccine - https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/vaccine-booster-shots

includes those on cancer treatment or immunosuppressive therapy - https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/3rd-shot-covid-19-vaccine-very-likely-children-below-12-be-vaccinated-next-year

can be an indicator - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01377-8

an increasing number of patients opting for the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty jab - https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/singapore-residents-2-sinovac-doses-are-finding-they-need-pfizer-boost

South Korea - https://www.asiaone.com/asia/south-korea-mix-and-match-covid-19-vaccine-doses-760000-people

Vietnam - https://www.asiaone.com/asia/vietnam-mix-doses-pfizer-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccines

Cambodia - https://www.asiaone.com/asia/cambodia-mix-vaccines-booster-shots-fight-covid-19

a report by The Straits Times - https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/covid-19-booster-jabs-some-may-not-get-same-vaccine-from-earlier-shots

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