Against the backdrop of rising cases Omicron BF.7 In China and other parts of the world, there have been concerns about a new wave caused by the sub-variant in India in the coming months. Omicron BF.7 was first found in India in July and so far, only 4 cases have been detected across Gujarat and Odisha. Experts say that we don’t need to press the panic button yet, but at the same time innovate social distancing measures and raise vigilance. (Also read: Omicron BF.7: Increased cases of highly infectious strain in India; specialist in symptoms, precautions and new waves)
Booster shots are one of the ways to increase immunity against the new variant. Hyderabad-based E’s Corbevax bio-enhancer for people who have been vaccinated against Covishield may offer maximum protection against Omicron variants, according to a new study by AIG. Research shows that people who receive Corbevax injections show higher levels of antibodies.
Following incidents of people accidentally taking different vaccines with two separate doses, a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that mixing and matching vaccines Please no side effects. However, there have been concerns about whether it is safe or whether mixing two different vaccines is actually more effective and provides a better shield against different variants of the coronavirus. .
So could the vaccine combination offer better protection against Omicron BF.7 and the emerging subvariants? We asked the experts.
‘PHOTOGRAPHY A PROMISE STRATEGY’
“Mixing Covid shots or what we call heterologous boosters is a promising strategy in the fight against this pandemic. According to a limited study, it has been found that the ability to weakened immunity is a concern in protecting us from the virus.Mixing shots like vector-based vaccines (Covishield), followed by mRNA-based vaccines (Pfizer) can may help enhance or provide better immune protection.MRNA-based vaccines produce a good antibody response and vector-based vaccines produce a good T-cell response.So a combination of the two. seems to provide some promising protection,” said Dr. Shivanshu Raj Goyal, Consultant Lung, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram.
“Side effects can vary from person to person but mixing vaccines is a good strategy to provide safe and effective protection and in some cases mixing vaccines will create lifelong immunity by activating active memory B and T cells, this is less commonly seen.Whatever strategy we should follow and most benefit everyone will timely updated by the MoHFW and should be followed,” said Dr. Goyal.
‘NO SIDE EFFECTS, IT CAN STRENGTHEN IMMUNITY’
“Mass Covid vaccination has played an important role in limiting the severity of Covid outbreaks across India. Many Covid vaccines have been used globally following scientific approval. to stop this pandemic. With recent news of new variants, booster dose is for your protection and health enhancement your protection against serious covid infection.Sometimes available or lack of the same vaccine is a problem.However, mixing vaccines has no side effects instead it can boost immunity and provide more ways to your immune system. we identify the offending virus and act quickly,” said Dr Rahul Sharma, Additional Director of Pulmonology, Fortis Noida Hospital.
‘Mixing Covid vaccines takes time’
The Covid vaccine booster strategy is needed in the hour. Usually, sequential boosters are recommended.
Mixing heterologous immune responses is an emerging concept. In early trials and studies in the United States, it was observed that although the intervention was necessary, it turned out to be helpful because mixing the vaccines resulted in an increase in the types of immune responses. and potential long-lasting immunogenic effects. Researchers have found that following one dose of AstraZeneca with one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine produces stronger and better immune responses, as measured by blood tests.
Dr. Neha Rastogi Panda, Consultant on Infectious Diseases, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said that mixing vaccines offers advantages in pathogen identification and better immune response in all areas. all branches of immunity.
‘Mixing a proven vaccine is equally good’
“Government of India has authorized the use of Corbevax vaccine as a preventive dose after completion of six months from the second dose of Covaxin or Covishield vaccine for adults in August 2022. Decision. This article of the Covid-19 Working Group is based on scientific evidence generated through a double-blind randomized controlled trial of the Corbevax vaccine, a phase 3 clinical study evaluating immunogenicity and bioavailability. The safety of a booster dose of Corbevax vaccine in adult volunteers who have previously received two doses of Covaxin or Covishield of two different vaccines has been shown to be not inferior to or superior to that used. single vaccine use in Covid-19 disease in terms of immunogenicity as measured by antibody levels and T-cell-mediated immunity as measured by CD4 and CD8 levels,” said Dr. Manoj Sharma, Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Fortis Vasant Kunj Hospital.
“Mixing two different vaccines can give the immune system more of a way to recognize the pathogen (Virus.) In a study in Spain, 448 individuals received the following mixture of doses of AstraZenecia. that was the dose of Pfizer BioNTech, a strong immune response was noted with fewer side effects. Similarly, the Sputnik vaccine when combined with AstraZenecia also showed a stronger immune response,” said Dr. Dr. Sharma said.
Benefits of Vaccination against Genotypes
Although the approved COVID vaccine provides a high degree of protection against symptomatic infections and severe illness, there is growing evidence that immunity declines over time. In addition, it has been found that some sub-variants/sublineages have the ability to evade immunity, i.e. can cause infection in individuals who already have some immunity against the SARS CoV-2 virus. Heterogeneic vaccination refers to the mixing of more than one vaccine. There are reasons to believe that vaccination with different vaccines may be immunologically beneficial. Mixing vaccines provides an extended level of protection and for a longer period of time. Sufficient scientific data are available to date to suggest a superior immune response to the heterologous vaccine approach. Studies have shown better and longer-lasting immune responses after mixing and matching, both inactivated and mRNA-based vaccines. Dr Rohit Kumar Garg, Consultant, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said this benefit was found when mixing vaccines in the main series as well as boosters.
