Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Ministry of Public Health, has discussed the possibility of recommending a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to the general public and frontline medical personnel.
Current guidelines recommend a fourth dose for members of at-risk groups, with research currently underway to study the effects of boosters on the body’s immune system and to assess the overall Omicron coronavirus situation.
According to Dr Opas, part of this assessment will take into account people who received third-dose vaccinations, particularly in Bangkok and Phuket. Given that fourth doses have yet to be administered, the time required between third and fourth doses remains an open question.
He also warned against people rushing to get follow up injections and boosters, noting that receiving too many too soon renders them ineffective. He added that in absence of a major outbreak, the time between vaccinations can be more spaced out while a rapidly spreading disease requires an accelerated innoculation schedule. (NNT)
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