Doctors recommend Covid booster shots

Doctors say that people who have tested positive for Covid-19 and those who have already had two Covid vaccinations can have a third jab to boost the body’s immunity to the virus.
However, people considering a booster shot should first seek medical advice.
Dr Phoudthasone from the Mittaphab Hospital said everyone could get a third Covid vaccination, even if they had already contracted the virus.
She advised that people who had tested positive for Covid should wait for three to six months after being discharged from hospital before being vaccinated, to ensure they were in good health.

The benefits of a booster shot to strengthen immunity, especially given the emergence of new virus strains, greatly outweigh the risk of rare side effects, Dr Phoudthasone said.
Deputy Director General of the Health Care and Rehabilitation Department, Ministry of Health, Dr Khamsai Detvixay, said people who are eligible for a third jab could have any available vaccine.
People who have had two Sinopharm vaccinations, for example, may have either the Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca vaccine as a booster shot.
Those who had been given two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine followed by a third dose of AstraZeneca or other vaccine were found to have acceptable antibody levels, Dr Khamsai said.
According to WHO guidelines, people who have already been infected with the virus can also have a third vaccination to further boost their immunity.  
Dr Khamsai said booster shots had already been given to some medical staff and government officials, with most having had a mixture of vaccines.
The Ministry of Health is considering offering further booster jabs for people who previously received the Sinopharm vaccine, with the start of a full-scale rollout being considered for January.
The third dose of a Covid vaccine will be given 3-4 months after the second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
(Latest Update December 3, 2021)