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 Many countries have been rolling out booster shots, targeting the
elderly and people with underlying health issues, but worries about
the new Omicron variant have prompted some to expand their use to
larger portions of their populations.
With vaccination rates worryingly low in much of the developing
world, the WHO has said in recent months that administering primary
doses - rather than boosters - should be a priority.
The recommendation comes after the Strategic Advisory Group of
Experts (SAGE) on immunisation held a meeting on Tuesday to evaluate
the need for COVID-19 boosters.
Speaking in a briefing, SAGE chair Alejandro Cravioto said emerging
data showed that vaccines' efficacy against COVID-19 wanes, with a
significant decline seen in older people in particular.
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 COVID-19 vaccines protect "very
well" through six months after the last dose
with some "minor, modest reduction" in
protection, Kate O'Brien, director of the WHO's
immunisation department, said.
Inactivated vaccines which take the SARS-CoV-2
virus and inactivate or kill it using chemicals,
heat or radiation, are made by Chinese
manufacturers Sinovac Biotech, state-owned
Sinopharm and India's Bharat Biotech.
A single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
is still effective, but data from the company's
clinical trials using two doses clearly show the
benefit of having further vaccination, Cravioto
said.
(Reporting by Stephanie NebehayWriting by
Josephine MasonEditing by Alison Williams and
Mark Potter)
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