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WHO group backs third Covid-19 shot for elderly vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm
- SAGE says extra dose is not a booster shot but an extension of the main vaccination course
- Recommendation is a challenge for governments and could affect tens of millions of older adults in China alone, says New York-based analyst
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An extra Covid-19 vaccine shot should be offered to people aged 60 and above immunised with Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm doses, a WHO advisory group said on Monday.
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) also said a third shot should be given to moderately and severely immunocompromised people vaccinated with any World Health Organization-authorised vaccine.
SAGE announced its recommendations following a review last week of data gathered since the WHO approved a handful of Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use.
Data shows that people in both groups were at greater risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunisation, according to SAGE. Immunocompromised people in this group largely include cancer or other patients undergoing treatments that suppress their immune systems.
The group stressed that it was not recommending a booster shot, which is an additional shot given after a full primary course to address waning efficacy or the impact of variants. Rather, they recommended it be given as part of “an extended primary series” for these groups who were not mounting a sufficient immune response with two doses.
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