A fourth dose that is not unanimous

While Denmark is considering dropping its COVID-19 vaccination program by the end of the month, other countries have already started offering a fourth dose of the vaccine to their populations. What should Quebec do, which is slowly but surely preparing to lift the main health restriction measures?

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

End of vaccination in Denmark

On February 11, the Danish government announced its intention to end its vaccination program “by spring at the latest”. In particular, the Danish Health and Medicines Authority concluded “that it is currently not necessary to offer a third dose for people under 18, or to offer a fourth dose for several groups”. In this country of 5.8 million inhabitants, 81% of the population received at least two doses of vaccine and 61.4% received a booster dose. According to the government, although hospitalizations are on the rise, they are not considered problematic. “As we see the epidemic dying out, and because the season will soon change, it is not useful to offer a fourth dose,” said Bolette Søborg, Denmark’s chief medical officer, in a statement.

Sweden recommends a fourth dose

A neighboring country of Denmark, Sweden recommends a fourth dose for all people over 80, as well as for anyone living in a retirement home, regardless of age. “The ability of the immune system to respond to vaccination and build lasting protection decreases with age. A reminder reinforces this protection,” the country’s chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, pleaded on Monday. The Scandinavian country, which has distinguished itself with less restrictive health measures, has recorded a death toll of 16,500 for a population of 10 million. Figures significantly higher than those of Denmark, where 4,038 deaths were recorded for a population of 5.8 million people.

Spain, Chile, Israel

Several other nations have decided to offer a fourth dose of the vaccine. Since mid-January, this has been the case in Spain, but only for “very vulnerable” people, including those being treated for cancer or receiving immunosuppressive treatment. In this country of 47 million people, 90.5% of the population is fully vaccinated. In Chile, the government already announced at the end of December that a fourth dose would be offered to the entire population, starting with those most at risk. Already, more than 40,000 deaths have been recorded out of a population of 19.2 million. Just over 86% of Chileans have received two doses of the vaccine. Israel, one of the countries that has vaccinated its population the fastest, has been offering a fourth dose to people aged 60 and over since the beginning of the year.

The opinion of an expert

Alain Lamarre, professor and researcher specializing in immunology and virology at the National Institute for Scientific Research, believes that a fourth dose may be useful for people over 80 and immunosuppressed people. But in the current context, with the Omicron wave which seems to be in decline almost everywhere on the planet, he believes that the three doses of vaccine are sufficient. “The three doses are effective enough to protect us against the most serious illnesses. According to him, if we had to relaunch a vaccination operation on a larger scale, we would have to wait for vaccines “more adapted to the Omicron variant”. “The situation is going in the right direction, but it is also not excluded that there will be a sixth wave in the fall and that everyone will need a booster dose. It might be a suitable vaccine for Omicron. »

The WHO stomps its feet

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently urged wealthy countries to provide an emergency $16 billion that is still missing to fund its plan to fight COVID-19. According to the WHO, the rapid spread of the more contagious, but less virulent Omicron variant makes the equitable distribution of tests, treatments and vaccines all the more urgent. Only six countries – Canada, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Sweden – have reached or exceeded a level of equitable funding.

With Agence France-Presse