A recent study in Israel has confirmed the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in reducing viral loads. The study analyzed samples from 11,000 people infected with the Delta variant of COVID-19 virus to derive the conclusions.

Explaining the study, Dr Satyam Parmar, head of pathology department at RAK Hospital, stated that the data revealed viral load significantly reduced in vaccinated people as compared to the unvaccinated. This means even if the vaccinated individuals get the infection, the transmission will be limited. Evidently, a COVID-19 vaccine booster has helped in minimizing the viral load in the body.

In this regard, Dr Parmar underlined the need for a booster dose among vaccinated individuals to enhance protection against COVID-19. He named three key reasons for opting for a booster dose:

"The first, if you didn’t respond adequately to the first two doses, second if you come under the category of immuno-compromised, and also when, over time, the immunity achieved as a result of the vaccine wanes off," he said.

Noting that protection attained through vaccination starts to reduce over time, it is important to take the vaccine booster to keep the immunity running against the disease. After multiple studies, it has been confirmed that vaccines are the only way we can combat virus in the body. Vaccines protect people against severe infections due to COVID-19, experts noted.

Dr Raza Siddiqui, executive director of RAK Hospital and founding member of UAE-based Arise - the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, underlined that a number of webinars have been conducted regionally and internationally to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and booster shots. Arise - Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies is a network of private sector entities led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

As the UAE's vaccination campaigns continues to achieve greater accomplishments, there are still some doubts among the public regarding the importance of booster shots and antibodies.

RAK Hospital in association with ARISE UAE is organizing a free webinar on ‘The Role of Antibody and Booster Vaccine’ with the aim of guiding the community and raising awareness about booster vaccinations and acquired immunity against COVID-19. The webinar is being organized as part of the COVID-19 rehabilitation programme launched by the RAK Hospital earlier this year. The interactive webinar will help in supporting the public and answering their queries related to vaccination.

Interested people can participate in the virtual event on October 23, 2021 from 11 am to 12 noon GST by registering on www.rakhospitalrehab.com

Dr Hafiz Ahmad, Head of Covid lab at RAK Hospital, Asst. Professor and Clinical Microbiologist at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, noted that numerous theories about the booster vaccine tend to confuse people about their importance.

‘Who needs them?’ ‘What is the safety and effectiveness?’ ‘How often is it required?’. All these and many more questions will be answered through the event,” he said.

Dr Hafiz noted that testing anti-SARS-COV-2 spike antibodies (Anti-S1 IgG) as well as neutralizing antibodies to monitor the effectiveness of the vaccine after booster shots, particularly in the elderly and immuno-compromised population, will help in understanding functional antibodies that boost immune protection against the disease.