Article
There has been growing concern that, with the recent lockdown announced on 4 January 2021, the nation may be at risk of pandemic complacency,1 following an arduous and protracted series of frequently changing restrictions and lockdowns.
With the recent advent and widespread delivery of two COVID-19 vaccine systems (from Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca/Oxford) and the recent approval of a third (Moderna) by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), it can be anticipated that soon all clinicians in primary and secondary dental care settings will have been offered a vaccination. We would like to warn that this may lead to a vaccine complacency centred around presumed immunization.
Each vaccine produces reportedly varying levels of immunity. Regarding the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the efficacy has been reported at 95.0% after two doses.2 With the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, the efficacy varies depending on dose regimens. Two standard doses reportedly yield 62.1% efficacy, whereas a low dose followed by a standard dose results in 90.0% protection.3 The Moderna vaccine, which is likely to be the next available, reportedly yields an efficacy of 94.1% following the second dose.4
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