This Covid-19 virus has claimed millions of lives until now, ever since its emergence. People are doing their best to fight the virus through vaccination, social distancing, and maintaining hygiene.
Many people have been vaccinated already. However, more than 8% of the people have received only the first dose of the vaccine and are yet to receive the second dose yet. Though many people are skipping the second dose, it is very important to take the second dose for the prevention of the virus.
Why should one take two doses?
The second dose will not only protect the one taking the vaccine but also prevent the spread of the diseases to others via a carrier.
The second vaccine is important to fight the contraction of the Covid-19 virus. The second dose is necessary to reduce the chances of contraction of the disease and increase the immunity of the body.
The second dose doesn’t ensure 100% protection from the disease but it makes sure, the chances of the body falling victim to the virus are reduced greatly. Even if the person is found to be affected by the disease, the seriousness of the disease will be diminished to a great extent.
These booster shots help the body to recognize the vaccine that had been injected earlier and make it more functional. Thus, more antibodies are produced and the immunity system increases, thereby providing better protection against the contraction of Covid-19.
In Depth into Covid Vaccine Doses
Until now some research claim that if the vaccine is 50% effective, then it is good enough to protect against the virus. However, if the efficiency is 90% to 91%, the chance of the virus attacking is much less. They are more resistant to the virus. Since the second dose lowers the chance of contraction, others around also reduce the risk of contraction from the particular individual.
The second dose of the vaccine has been recommended by most doctors and health experts. The government is doing its part by promoting the second dose of the vaccine as per the say of the doctors.
In the case of elderly people, it has been observed that people who received the first dose had very low immunity. The people who were injected with the second dose of the vaccine had much better immunity.
The first vaccine provides different levels of protection to different people based on their medical history, lifestyle, age, etc. This implies that if five people take the vaccine, all five people do not have the same immunity or the same protection against contracting the disease. Therefore, it may so happen, taking the first dose is not enough to provide proper protection to many. A person may still be very much prone to disease even after taking the first vaccine while someone else maybe has much higher immunity after the first vaccine. Hence, it is necessary to take the second dose, to enhance immunity and mitigate the chances of contraction of Covid-19.
Most people are skipping the second dose
If the data provided by multiple organizations are to be believed, then about 5 million people received only the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while skipping the second dose of the vaccine, either by choice or due circumstances.
The pandemic situation is such most of the vaccination centers and hospitals are full and the appointments for vaccination are difficult to get. Most people are skipping the second dose to avoid this hassle. Though there the time one has to wait for the next dose of vaccine is three weeks ideally, it can be extended to six weeks. The effect of the vaccine would be the same. No one should be discouraged to take the second dose because three weeks is gone by and it is ‘too late’. It is never to let to get vaccinated and protect yourself and others from the dangerous virus.
Others are voluntarily choosing to skip the second dose, maybe because they feel the first dose of the vaccine is enough to protect them.
Some felt maybe they want to avoid the stress caused for a few days post-vaccination. Many people are anxious about the side effects of the drug since the first dose exhausted them after it was injected. The doctors and medical practitioners say that while the antibodies are being formed, the body shows some symptoms of the virus. However, these effects are temporary and don’t cause any harm to the body.
The symptoms are usually headaches, fever, and fatigue, which may last for about two to four days. These symptoms are worth enduring for a few days to avoid contraction of the virus and experiencing these for multiple days at a stretch.
Herd Immunity
Herd immunity is a term coined to define a community consisting of people who have achieved immunity against any particular virus.
As more and more people are injected with the second shot of the vaccine, the immunity power increases, thereby making society progress towards herd immunity faster. As more people grow immune to the virus, the chances of contraction of the virus in society would diminish rapidly. Hence, very soon a world free of the Covid-19 virus may be achieved. This is one of the most effective ways to stop the spreading of the virus. A person can be considered a part of the herding community only if the person has 60% to 80% immunity against the virus.
Hence injecting the second dose of the vaccine will help achieve herd immunity, by boosting the immunity of individuals.
One should get both the doses of the vaccine and also encourage the people around to get themselves vaccinated without delay. This has ruined families, businesses, livelihoods, and more besides killing the people. Many people lost close ones, still struggling emotionally. The economy fell and many people are still struggling financially.
The virus has caused enough damage and we must now do our part to prevent it from causing further damage by getting ourselves vaccinated completing both doses. The more immune we are, the more equipped we are to fight Covid-19.
