Specialist: Booster dose lowers risk of complications, death by 19-20 times

Recently, there has been a decrease in the number of recoveries from COVID-19 compared to the earlier period, infectious disease hepatologist Mardan Aliyev told Report.

According to the specialist, the number of infection cases is growing again:

“The growth was expected in autumn. Probably, these increases will continue. A decrease may follow before the summer months. It is impossible to say exactly what the growth rate will be like, whether the numbers will remain near a thousand or will rise rapidly to several thousands. In any case, it will not be the same as last year and the year before.”

The infectious disease expert said that people initially had doubts about the coronavirus vaccines:

“Subsequent research has shown that vaccines provide enough protection against infection and complications. Recent studies have already clarified the importance of the third or booster dose. The booster dose decreases the risk of complications and death by 19-20 times. It means that those who receive the third dose of a vaccine face almost zero complications. It is a huge result. Generally, the third dose should be given 3-4 months after CoronaVax and a maximum of 6 months after Pfizer. Because, 5-6 months after the second dose, a person can get sick. For this reason, it is recommended to take the third dose.”

Natig Aliyev, an infectious disease specialist at the Infectious Diseases Working Group of TABIB, told Report that the booster dose should be administered to people over 65 years of age, those with chronic diseases, and those in the high-risk areas six months or more after the second dose. Health care, education, citizen service sector workers must be vaccinated as well.

According to world practice, severe coronavirus cases and mortality have decreased among those vaccinated with the third dose. With this in mind and given that the pandemic is still ongoing, vaccination must be carried out. Sometimes people mistakenly think that if they have allergies to sugar, they should not be vaccinated. These claims are baseless. Vaccination should be done in the absence of an emergency. Very rarely, there can be serious side effects after the first or second dose. Such cases have been recorded around the world, albeit to a lesser extent. Someone facing this situation can seek assistance. The issuance of a certificate of contraindication can be ensured after examination by a medical commission.