The National Health Service (NHS) in England recently announced that they are looking into plans for offering COVID-19 booster shots. A full vaccination against the disease often requires two doses. But as antibodies created by vaccines drop over time, individuals will eventually need another dose to increase their antibody levels again.
Getting a booster shot against the novel coronavirus means prolonging the efficacy of the protective immunity the vaccine can provide. It may also enable better protection against new strains, such as the Delta variant.
When individuals receive a third dose of the vaccine, they can expect the same side effects as the first two doses. Symptoms after getting a COVID-19 booster shot should subside within 1-2 days. However, if the person experiences prolonged fever or other persistent symptoms, they should book a coronavirus test immediately. Individuals may contact their nearest clinic for either an RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen test.
With the increasing number of citizens receiving their COVID-19 jabs, people can expect some changes with existing pandemic mandates. Many also remain hopeful that the economy can recover soon and activities can once again resume normalcy.
While some restrictions are slowly easing in the UK, like the new quarantine rules for fully vaccinated individuals, other mandates are still in place. For instance, even if a traveller has already completed their COVID-19 jabs, they must still provide a fit to fly COVID test to ensure they do not pose any health risk.
In addition, they must confirm if their destination country requires only an RT-PCR coronavirus test or if they accept a rapid antigen test for travel.
UK citizens may soon get their COVID-19 booster shot. See this infographic from Harley Medic International that discusses everything you need to know about the third vaccine for more information on the matter.
