Your Booster questions answered

Many of us will have already had our COVID-19 vaccinations and been offered an additional booster jab. Whilst it might not necessarily seem important, booster vaccines are key in further increasing our protection against coronavirus and helping reduce the risk of hospitalisation and serious illness as a result of catching the virus. If you had not yet had your booster, you may be feeling hesitant about it and have questions about why it is needed on top of two vaccination jabs.

The Covid-19 booster is safe and vaccination remains the best defence against COVID-19, but having questions or concerns is totally understandable given the amount of misinformation out there on this topic so we’ve put together a list of common queries to help you learn more about the booster jab.

African Voice speaks with Prof. Rotimi Jaiyesimi Group Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and Global Health Expert on the importance of getting Boosted Now.

Why is it necessary to get the Booster jab?
It is important to stress that vaccines do not cure the infection or prevent one from getting the infection.

What they do is to prepare or prime the body to be able to respond to the infection should it occur by way of the development of antibodies in our bodies that fight off the Covid-19 virus. The body has and retains the ability to recognise the infection and fight it off should it become necessary.

Following the coverage attained by the vaccination programme, it has become apparent that should vaccinated people get the infection, the body responds adequately and this has resulted in people having only mild to moderate illness and not requiring hospital admissions. This is a good reason to be vaccinated.

Why do vaccinated people still get the virus?

Vaccines are not a form of treatment but they provoke the ability of the body to recognise the virus should it infect an individual. The vaccine primes the body to be able to fight off the virus through the development of antibodies against the virus.

People are still prone to get the infection if one breathes in the virus particles. However, with being vaccinated, the body is in a position to fight off the infection. This is why vaccinated people who get the virus only have mild symptoms and do not require hospital admissions. In simple terms. Being vaccinated makes your body ready to combat any infection from the virus.

Are pregnant women who are already double vaccinated still required to get the Booster jab?
Pregnant women are more at risk of severe COVID-19 disease and should receive the recommended vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna). The duration of pregnancy is 40 weeks. Pregnant women who have been double vaccinated are advised to have the booster dose 12 weeks after their second dose. This is even more important because Covid-19 disease can be serious in later pregnancy for some women.

With new variants emerging frequently, would the vaccination be taken annually?

We are uncertain as to whether vaccinations will be required annually. This will be determined from data analysis about the body’s ability to respond to the infection over time. It is not unlikely that highly vulnerable individuals with underlying disease such as diabetes and suppressed immune system may require the vaccination annually. The information will be shared with the public as it becomes available.

Some people are experiencing reactions to the already administered double vaccination, should they also take the Booster jab?

Most reactions are mild and require no treatment as they eventually resolve. The very few people who may have had a severe reaction, may either be offered a different form of vaccine or advised not to have the booster dose. This decision has to be discussed with a doctor and will centre around the risk of reactions against the potential risk of having Covid-19 infection. One reassuring fact is that people who have been fully vaccinated are unlikely to suffer severe disease, require hospitalisation or die should they become infected. This goes further to buttress the benefit of being fully vaccinated (two doses of the vaccine).

Get your booster now. nhs.uk/covidvaccination

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