The Ministry of Health received this Friday (21) a study carried out in the city of Viana, Espírito Santo, which showed the effectiveness of applying half a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against Covid-19 as a booster dose.
The data showed that the basic vaccination schedule, with two applications of the immunizer in half a dose, generated protection and production of antibodies similar to the application of two standard doses. The data revealed that two half doses prevented 70% of new cases and there was no occurrence of hospitalization or death in the studied population.
Led by the Federal University of Espírito Santo in partnership with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the study shows, according to the researchers, that it is possible to use half a dose of Astrazeneca as a booster.
Vaccination with half a dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine had the first stage in June and was carried out in more than 20 thousand people aged between 18 and 49 years.
The study also showed that the half dose generated the production of neutralizing antibodies in 99.8% of the participants, practically the same number with the standard doses.
The doctor Valéria Valim, who coordinates the research, took the presentation of the data to the Technical Chamber of Advice on Immunization of Covid-19, which works with the Ministry of Health, and said that the use of half a dose can mean the expansion of vaccination in poorest countries
“There is no way to vaccinate the whole world every semester. And here we have the national production of Astrazeneca, guiding the half-dose on the package insert means doubling Fiocruz’s capacity to prepare vaccines”, he said.
The survey data will be taken to the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and to the World Health Organization (WHO) next week.
Reference: CNN Brasil
