Kolkata: Seniors most at risk, need immediate 3rd shot, say doctors – Times of India

Kolkata News
KOLKATA: The 60-plus population remains the most vulnerable to Covid — especially when a new variant like Omicron is on the prowl — and needs a third ‘precaution’ dose immediately, felt doctors and experts in Kolkata.

Apart from almost 95% of them having some co-morbidity, their immune systems are weaker and make them susceptible to infection, particularly those which are extremely transmissible, like Omicron, they pointed out.
Thousands of senior citizens in Kolkata had contracted Covid during the first and second waves when a large number of them were either unvaccinated or had received just one shot. “Those with kidney, lung and cardiac diseases were the most widely affected and many died, several even after double vaccination. So we need to protect them with an additional dose without delay,” said internal medicine consultant Arindam Biswas.
He cited cases of multiple patients who got the virus and had a severe disease despite staying at home. “Those with co-morbidities had a high fatality rate during the first wave,” said Biswas.
It will be wrong to go by the lower virulence of Omicron and take it to be innocuous, said AMRI Hospitals internal medicine consultant Joydeep Ghosh. “It could turn virulent with transmission, which is now happening at a fast rate, and affect senior citizens more than the rest. Their immune systems turn weaker and can’t generate enough antibodies to fight the virus. Their organs are more likely to be affected in the event of an infection like Omicron and, consequently, they will be the first casualties. So they need a booster dose quickly,” said Ghosh.
The ‘risk-based approach’ to vaccination was the right one, according to Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER) professor Diptendra Sarkar. Those above 60 were the most vulnerable, along with health workers, since they were the first to receive the jab and, hence, have suffered an antibody depletion, Sarkar said.
“According to this approach, frontline workers and senior citizens are inoculated first. Statistics show the 60-plus group has been the most vulnerable to Covid and have had the highest number of deaths. We saw more senior citizens die in the first wave, when they were yet to receive the vaccine. During the second wave, the 40-50 age group surpassed them in terms of the number of deaths since they were unvaccinated,” said Sarkar.
While there is yet no government guideline, a booster dose could be most effective if taken after six months of the second shot.
“Most healthworkers and a majority of the 60-plus group have crossed that period. We are coming in close contact with patients so the fear is logical. A substantial number of doctors are above 60 as well. This will allow them, many of whom have co-morbidities and are vulnerable to infection, to return to work,” said RTIICS intensivist Sauren Panja.
“Studies show that antibodies deplete in six-eight months. So we can assume that those who received the second dose between April and June will now qualify,” Sarkar said.
“At least 50 members of Banchbo — an organisation working with healthcare of senior citizens — have registered with us so we can help them with the procedure for getting the booster dose. More queries are coming in. Most of our members had completed vaccination by April,” said physician Dhires Kumar Chowdhury.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/seniors-most-at-risk-need-immediate-3rd-shot-docs/articleshow/88530807.cms