Venezuela and the world are experiencing an increase in cases of COVID-19 since mid-2022, in the third year of the pandemic, but there are still many questions among the population about the third or fourth dose and what should be done if there are symptoms of the disease.
In this context, Cocuyo effect prepared a guide with the answers to the most frequent questions about isolation, care and booster vaccination:
1️⃣Who should be vaccinated with a third dose?
Venezuela began booster vaccination for people over 18 years of age in January 2022. Although initially it was recommended to wait 6 months from the application of the last dose, in February the authorities shortened the wait to 4 months.
The decision to administer a third dose to those over 18 years of age was reported through a circular from the Ministry of Health, but no written update on vaccination guidelines has been released since then.
This situation, according to Manuel Figuera Esparza infectious disease doctor and president of the Venezuelan Society of Infectious Diseases (SVI), has generated confusion.
“As a scientific society we recommend the third dose 4 months after the second dose. A third universal dose », he told Cocuyo effect.
2️⃣Who is recommended a fourth dose in Venezuela?
On radio and television, the management of Nicolás Maduro has called on the general population to get a booster and get vaccinated “every 4 months”but not all vaccination centers in Venezuela give a fourth dose, as they allege that there is still no clear guideline from the Ministry of Health.
ButWhat do the experts recommend?
“What is applied in other countries is to vaccinate with a fourth dose to older than 50 years or immunosuppressed, although other countries vaccinate younger people, but the justification for a fourth general dose, from a scientific point of view, is not very clear,” Figuera stressed.
In summary, according to Figuera, the recommendation is that people have three doses and that those over 50 years of age, or with risk factors such as immunosuppression, seek to receive a fourth dose. “If they already have all four doses, they should be very well protected,” he said.
3️⃣Is a booster recommended in children?
According to Manuel Figuera, the Venezuelan Society of Infectious Diseases recommends a third dose for boys and girls from the age of 3, for which it advises the authorities to approve in writing the application of that booster dose.
“Extrapolating the data from the Pfizer vaccine in relation to the need for boosters in children, we recommend a booster in children older than 3 years, 5 months after the second dose”, added the infectious disease pediatrician Maria Grace Lopezformer president of the SVI.
In the case of children and adolescents who received doses of the Cuban Abdala or Soberana 02, not yet recognized as vaccines by the country’s scientific societies, López assures that it is difficult to give any recommendation due to the scarcity of data.
4️⃣ If I got a fourth dose, do I have to get vaccinated every 4 months?
The application of a fifth dose has not yet been considered, a scenario that would happen if people go to get vaccinated every 4 months, said the president of the SVI.
“The recommendation to vaccinate every 4 months is very broad and we have to see what happens with the effectiveness of the vaccines, or if more aggressive variants appear. We are in an evolving epidemic, so we have to determine the extent to which the circumstances evolve, “said Figuera Esparza.
In Venezuela there are people who, after being vaccinated with Sputnik V, for example, had to receive another two doses of Sinopharm in order to travel. In cases like these, Figuera assured that it would be necessary to individualize the recommendation, but affirmed that it still a fifth dose has not been established as necessary.
“In Venezuela it happens a lot that many people have a fourth vaccine because they had to travel, so they got two Russian ones and then they got two Chinese ones. If you have four vaccines, it does not matter how many months have passed: rest assured, you are well covered, “said the infectologist Julio Castro last July 4th in interview on the radio Wave The Superstation.
5️⃣ Where can I put the reinforcement?
In Caracas, the first large vaccination centers have already closed. However, vaccination throughout the country has spread among the main pharmacy chains: Farmatodo, Locatel, Saas, and Red Vital recently joined.
Locatel puts up to the fourth dose from 12 years in some of its stores in 10 entities of Venezuela: Miranda, Anzoátegui, Capital District, Aragua, Barinas, Carabobo, Falcón, Lara, Nueva Esparta and Zulia.
Pharmacology It has vaccination centers in some of its stores in Caracas, Miranda, Mérida, Aragua, Carabobo, Zulia, Barinas, Yaracuy, Nueva Esparta and Anzoátegui.
Saas enabled pharmacies in Zulia, while Red Vital maintains vaccination in Carabobo (Valencia), Turmero (Aragua), La Yaguara and La Urbina (Caracas) and Maracaibo (Zulia).
In the CDI Amelia Blanco, in Caracas, they give from the first to the third dose to people over 3 years of age from Monday to Friday in the morning, while in Plaza Miranda de Los Dos Caminos they give from the first to the fourth dose. centers like the Alba Caracas, the UBV and Ipsfa are no longer active.
6️⃣Can I get a different vaccine as a booster?
According to the Ministry of Health, those initially vaccinated with Sinopharm or Sinovac can be boosted with the same vaccines or with Sputnik.
Those who received Sputnik can reinforce with Sinopharm or with Sputnik Light (component 1 of Sputnik V). Those who received doses of Abdala can still receive Sinopharm or Sputnik.
«There are no problems regarding the use of different vaccines. It could even represent an advantage for greater immunity, ”said the infectologist Manuel Figuera.
7️⃣ What should I do if I have symptoms of COVID-19?
According to infectologists, if a person has respiratory symptoms, sore throat, general malaise, fever or cough, they should have a COVID-19, antigen or PCR test (both are by swab).
If the test cannot be done, according to Julio Castro, the person must assume that they have COVID-19 and isolate themselves. In times when the person cannot be isolated, he must maintain the proper use of the mask.
“In this epidemiological context, if you have respiratory symptoms, be it congestion, cough or discomfort, it is highly likely that it is COVID-19. And if it is not COVID-19, it is a cold, flu, influenza or another process that can be contagious. It is better to isolate to prevent what this person has from transmitting it to others,” said Manuel Figuera.
In the case of people with severe symptoms or risk factors, it is even more important to consult a doctor.
8️⃣ I have symptoms but I tested negative, what do I do?
If the person tested negative, they should still be kept in isolation.
“There are people that despite being sick, your test may be negative«, indicated the president of the SVI. “The test comes out negative many times because the person does not have enough virus at that time, or because the processing of the test was not as good or because the sample was not taken well.”
Figuera explained that many of the cases they attend to in the midst of the COVID-19 rebound driven by omicron and its sublineages (which are more contagious but less aggressive), are Familiar groups: If anyone gets sick, chances are everyone else in the household will get sick too.
“Sometimes in the same family group they are sent for tests and some come out positive and others do not, but if one person’s test comes out negative and there is someone else in the family who has COVID-19 with the same symptoms, of course that the other has COVID-19”, highlighted the infectologist.
9️⃣ For how long should I be in isolation if I have COVID-19?
According to the internist and infectologist Julio Castro, people should isolate themselves, at least, during 7 full days from the time the symptoms began. For Castro, if the person has a disease that affects his immunity, the isolation should be extended up to 10 days.
Manuel Figuera, for his part, stressed that the recommendation for people with mild or moderate conditions is maintain isolation for 10 daysregardless of whether they are already vaccinated or not.
“Even after day 5 or 7 there are people who may be contagious, that’s why the recommendation is extended,” said Figuera.
????If I just got over COVID-19, can I get it again soon?
One of the characteristics of omicron and its sublineages is that they sare more contagious than previous variants: due to its ability to immune evasionthe protection of vaccines or previous infections is not as effective against contagion, which is why there are people who become infected again (reinfection) or people who have already been vaccinated who become infected (gap infection), explained Figuera.
There are recorded cases of people becoming reinfected through 20 days after having overcome COVID-19.
1️⃣1️⃣ If I had contact with someone with COVID-19, should I quarantine?
The president of the Venezuelan Society of Infectious Diseases stressed that the probability of contagion depends on how well we are protected.
An example is a person who could have coincided with another with COVID-19, but if they wore a mask and the other person did too, and the space was ventilated and they did not remove their masks, they probably did not get infected.
However, he stressed that there is still a significant proportion of people who are infected but do not develop symptomsso even if they feel well they must continue to wear masks and take care of others.
“If, for example, a young person is vaccinated and went to a concert, as he had contact with other people, that at least avoid contacts between 7 and 10 days with their grandparents, with pregnant women, with other people who may have cancer or immunity problems,” he said.
So should we tighten the measures again? Figuera’s message is have openness but with responsibility.
“We have to ensure that the entire population is vaccinated and keep wearing masks in risky or closed spaces, large crowds, classrooms, cinemas, theaters and concerts, even outdoors to avoid getting infected, “said the specialist.