Dr. Pana: Immunity acquired through vaccination is not permanent - Possibly vaccinations per year

What he said about the safe pass and the developments around vaccinations in general

Drawing without title 2021 05 12T132643.217 DR PANA

Immunity acquired through vaccination or natural immunity after infection is not permanent, said today at KYPE, Lecturer in Pediatrics at the European University of Cyprus and member of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health, Zoe Dorothea Pana, who noted that the scientific Considers that at least one repeat dose should be given at the right and reasonable time, in order to strengthen and prolong the immunity of the world.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency about the possibility of administering a third dose of vaccine against Covid-19, Dr. Pana said that what the scientific community is trying to achieve together with the pharmaceutical industry is not to make the mistakes of the past in the coming years and from the moment it has the vaccine at its disposal, to transfer it in time - before the spread of the virus , after the recession that will be achieved in the summer - the vaccination of individuals or the general population, in order to turn the pandemic into an endemic condition.

Asked to comment on Pfizer's claims of a 9-month repeat vaccine, Pana said: "The truth is that scientists still do not know the title of the antibodies, what we call neutralizing antibodies that are protective. , nor whether the lack of antibodies means a lack of immunity ", noting that" the body has other pillars of protection, which are activated by vaccination and mainly concern other cells, T cells and mnemonics, which are also activated and provide immunity, but are not measured in everyday life in the daily classic laboratory ".

"So, yes, the title of the antibodies is helpful, but it is not alpha and omega, to certify that someone is or is not yet immune to the coronavirus or coronaviruses, including the mutants," he said.

We may be vaccinated annually or at regular intervals

He expressed the appreciation that "at least one repeated dose should be made in the right and reasonable period of time, in order to strengthen and make our immunity last longer for the next year, something that we do anyway with the Influenza virus", to note that until the global remission of the virus is achieved we may be vaccinated per year or at regular intervals.

"Repeated dosing is something that is currently hotly debated in scientific circles and is one of the key questions that the European team of scientists has asked and wants to answer quickly in the new VACCELERATE European Commission program, in which it participates. and Cyprus, that is, when and to whom we must make the repeated dose, in order to achieve a recession next year and not a resurgence and upheavals ", said Ms. Pana.

He added "studies will be carried out immediately under the auspices of the European Commission and Cyprus participates, while he added that there are some scientific discussions on heterologous schemes, ie whether it would help multilevel mainly in the part of immunity, but also in the practical part. the alternation of shapes ".

Explaining further, Ms. Pana said that heterologous schemes involve switching patterns, that is, if someone has completed an Astrazeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccine receptor vaccine, they should be vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine or vice versa.

"It is based on the fact that you can change the vaccine technology if you want to be vaccinated again. "This is why studies are already being conducted abroad in this regard and the information we will receive relatively early will help us to understand what happens if we change the vaccination platform to see what is the strongest and longest lasting immunity," he said.

In the summer the answers to the use of different vaccines

Answering a relevant question, Ms. Pana said that the first answers for the heterologous group will be in the summer, in order to prepare as Cyprus for the coming years, noting that "the fight is very fast".

He reminded that after the summer last year, the resurgence started slowly, to add that "we want to have knowledge in order to be able to preserve the country next year".

He also noted that in the summer we will have more information about the vaccination of children, which as he said "is another very important part".

He said that in the first phase of vaccination in Europe, the aim was to reduce serious illness and deaths, adding that "if we now want to achieve herd immunity, our vaccination strategy may need to be extended, as we do in other infectious diseases, which cause epidemics ".

Answering a question about the Seychelles, where although more than 60% of the population has been fully vaccinated, restrictions are returning as cases have increased, Ms Pana said herd immunity is the wall being built so that it cannot to recycle the virus, pointing out on the other hand that the virus is a natural phenomenon.

The virus may be more pathogenic in the future

"As we have seen recently with India, the virus is trying to survive and is trying to cause some mutations, which may affect various issues in the future. "Not only will it be more contagious, as English was, but it may also be more pathogenic."

He stressed that "the more you actively maintain high levels of immunity, the more you protect the community from these executives not being able to find people who are capable", noting that "he wants global coordination, he wants all countries to keep high walls of immunity, to we can achieve the global recession. "

He stressed that "if we do not achieve this in the next period, as long as the virus changes, this will allow it to give relapses and depending on the rate of vaccination and the measures you will see relapses or not."

"Only when we achieve an immune wall in a coordinated manner will we be able to talk about a global recession of the virus," he said.

Indian Mutation in 44 countries, according to the WHO

Regarding the Indian mutation detected in 44 countries, according to the World Health Organization, Ms. Pana said that "mutations have been, are and will be, and it is not something you can prevent."

"What you can convert is perhaps the extension, that is, how fast this virus leaves from one area to another, with different measures you take. "Since you can not control this natural phenomenon in its entirety, you try to see the opposite and the solution to the problem of mutants continues to be vaccination, because even the vaccines we have now are effective for mutations." reported.

Safe pass: The goal is not the suffering of citizens and the violation of their rights

Regarding the practical issues and problems arising from the safe pass measure that has recently entered our lives, Ms. Pana added that "no one has the goal of harassing citizens or violating citizens' rights", however, she noted that "The first right is health and at this time we want to find the right ways and promote our country abroad as a safe country."

He said: "It was very clear that the safe pass was a transitional solution in a time of crisis, when we are trying to achieve a security framework", explaining that "the security framework does not come out by chance, but based on the documentation and data we have obtained so far. moment by the pandemic ".

"We need to consider," he added, "whether the measurement in a week secures us when we have relaxed. "So when we have contact and mobility and we are still at a relative risk of becoming infected in the meantime, it might create a sense of false security in a space that could possibly help spread the virus," he said.

Ms. Pana clarified, finally, that all "the dates listed in the safe pass are not random, but driven by the documentation and knowledge that we have gained worldwide in relation to the pandemic."