Why Do Most COVID-19 Vaccines Need Two Shots?
When the vaccine was tested, a weak immune reaction was diagnosed after the first dose within weeks. A comparatively immune solid reaction was tested when the people who received the first dose (prime dose) were injected with a second dose (booster dose). Various trials looked at the efficiency of preventing the infection when people received two doses of vaccine. It has been shown that these vaccines prevented the causative symptoms after both the first and second doses. There are still no proven records of how the vaccines work if only one dose is given, as, in these trials, a second dose was always given.
How Does the Booster Dose Wake Up the Immune System?
First, the vaccines start to stimulate antibodies and recognize the Coronavirus. When antibodies recognize the virus, it starts killing it by repairing the cells infected by the virus. All these mechanisms occur before they start developing any symptoms. When another encounter occurs, the memory T and B immune cells start to protect our body. These memory cells will start to forget how to recognize the pathogen in the future.
Booster shots remind the immune system how to recognize the disease-causing specific pathogen. This proves that our body starts to respond quickly and efficiently after the second dose. It is said that people who are more vulnerable to the new coronavirus variants should receive the second dose.
The need for a third dose following the first two doses between 6 to 12 months and annual revaccination will be established soon, and understanding that at a certain point, we need to start boosting our immune system at nine months or 12 months intervals, said an American healthcare company.
Not only this infectious disease vaccine, but other vaccines, such as mumps, measles, rubella (MMR) vaccine, and annual flu vaccines, also take booster shots to improve immunity and give long-lasting protection to children.
What Were the Disputes on the Requirement of the Second Dose of Vaccine?
COVID-19 disease is highly infectious due to its rapid spread throughout the world. There were serious debates on the slow production and delivery of vaccines, so the first dose was given to the people, whereas the second dose was delayed until a large amount of the population received the first dose. As already known, the immune response to a single dose is comparatively less, but when a person receives their first dose, they have some protection against the infectious disease. But there is no sufficient information on the result of a single dose.
The vaccine-resistant variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are at higher risk of developing COVID-19 even when people get only one dose. It is unreliable to think that getting one dose is sufficient to protect against COVID-19 infection and skip the second dose. So do not skip, miss, or delay the second dose, as there is no reliable evidence that getting only one dose will make long-term protection against COVID-19.
What Is the Correct Time for the Second Dose of the Vaccine?
The second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is given according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. They recommend the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine be given:
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Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - Two doses are given 3 weeks apart.
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Moderna vaccine - Two doses are given 4 weeks apart.
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Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - Two doses are given 8 to 12 weeks apart.
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Novavax vaccine - Two doses are given 3 weeks apart.
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Sputnik V vaccine - Two doses are given 3 weeks apart.
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CoronaVac vaccine - Two doses are given 1 month apart.
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Covexin - Two doses are given 4 to 6 weeks apart.
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Covishield - Two doses are given 6 to 8 weeks apart.
The duration for the second shot should not extend beyond six to seven weeks after the first dose. Even though the second dose is not given in the scheduled weeks of the respective drugs, the second dose can be given on further days without the need to restart with the first dose. The second dose cannot be shot earlier than the above-stated schedule, but if the person needs to get the second dose earlier, it can be given four days ahead of schedule.
How Can a Person Schedule the Second Shot?
Getting a second dose of vaccine should be planned wisely. When needed, ask for help to schedule the vaccination of the second dose from where a person had the first shot of the vaccine. If a person has any doubts about the vaccination schedule, he can reach out to the organization members who helped him enroll in this management program. The organization member includes:
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Local or state health department.
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Employer.
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Vaccination provider.
A person can also schedule an appointment for the second dose at the time of the first shot. But this is usually not required. Suppose an individual has moved to a different state, city, or village after the first dose, and getting a second shot in a different location is not a problem. There are several ways to get vaccinated in a different location by finding help from a vaccine provider.
How Does a Vaccination Card Help With the Second Shot?
1. Provides All the Necessary Information:
A vaccination card tells an individual when a person received the prime dose, and it will be provided on the day of first vaccination appointment. It will also help know the following:
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When a person has received the vaccination card.
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The date a person received the vaccination card.
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Where a person has received the vaccination card.
Also, the person has to bring the vaccination card on the date of receiving the second dose.
2. Not Received the Vaccination Card:
If a person is not provided with a vaccination card on the first appointment, he can contact the vaccination site or state health department where he received the first shot to get the vaccination card.
3. If a Person Misplaced the Vaccination Card:
In case a person has lost their vaccination card, they can contact the vaccination provider to access the vaccination record.
4. Vaccination Card for the Second Appointment:
Get the vaccination card when a person goes for a second dose because the vaccination provider will fill in the information about the second dose on the vaccination card.
5. Having the Card After the Second Dose:
A person should keep the vaccination card or take a picture of the vaccination card after the second dose as a backup copy for future use.
Which Scenario Is Considered to Be Fully Vaccinated and Not Fully Vaccinated?
Fully Vaccinated:
People who have taken their prime dose and booster dose are considered to be fully vaccinated. If a person is fully vaccinated, they can start doing the things that they stopped during this pandemic.
Not Fully Vaccinated:
A person is not considered to be fully vaccinated:
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If it has not crossed two weeks after the first shot.
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If a person has less than two weeks for the second shot.
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Still, a person did not get the second dose of a two-dose vaccine.
Conclusion:
There are no sources on how long the protection lasts after having a COVID-19 vaccine. But experts say that the protection lasts for at least six months after the second dose, and further research is still underway. So it is possible to have vaccine-induced protection, and the protection will last for six months. But many researchers say that the antibodies created by the vaccines will vanish over time, and booster shots are required. So understanding this tough time of the pandemic, taking a prime dose, and getting a booster dose is mandatory for vaccines that have two shots. Even though a person gets vaccinated, wears a mask, maintains social distance, wash hands frequently, avoids frequent outings, and does not touch the face often, especially the eyes and nose.
