More active vaccination against Covid-19 is needed within at-risk groups - specialist

RIGA - Although research into the protection of children from Covid-19 with vaccines is ongoing around the world, it is more important for society as a whole to be more active in vaccinating at-risk groups, such as seniors, who may be severely affected by the next wave of the virus, the chairwoman of the State Council of Immunization Dace Zavadska told TV3 this morning.

The specialist said that research into the use of the vaccine against Covid-19 in children of different ages is ongoing, but the virus is more dangerous for other groups of the population.

Regarding the effectiveness of the vaccines, including against the new variants of the virus, Zavadska emphasized that they protect against severe symptoms and death, although these vaccines may not completely protect against becoming infected from the new ''delta'' variants. She also added that no new vaccine variants are currently expected.

There is currently no reliable information on the possible booster dose of the vaccine. The specialist herself thinks that booster vaccination may not be necessary for the whole society, but higher risk groups, such as seniors and doctors, may need it. "A normal vaccine should work for a year," Zavadska said of the vaccine's term of protection.

Zavadska also noted that it would be best to get vaccinated in about a month after recovering from Covid-19. On the other hand, scientific studies on mixing vaccines from different manufacturers show that such a technique works and protection does not lessen. She considered that any vaccine could be mixed with another, but the question is whether national systems are in place to obtain a Covid-19 safety certificate after such vaccines.

In general, Zavadska would like to see higher vaccination coverage. She hopes that during the sunny summer season, people will become more enlightened and less confident about the fake news about vaccines. Explanatory work is also very necessary to promote vaccination, the doctor admitted.