Position statement 24: Appeal of the COVID-19 Advisory Team to the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences urging booster vaccinations
In confrontation with the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in Poland, each of us has been left to our own devices. In this situation, we are making an urgent appeal to all those who have previously shown responsibility and received the COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated with a booster dose as soon as it becomes possible for them.
It is with great concern that we are observing the rapidly increasing numbers of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 and people hospitalized with COVID-19. For some people the disease will end in death, for others it will end in permanent respiratory disability and a drastic reduction in life, work, and social activity. People who have already been vaccinated may also contract the disease, but for them the risk of serious health consequences is much lower.
We are seriously concerned by the lack of an adequate response to the seriousness of the epidemic situation on the part of the state authorities. When confronted with the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in Poland, each of us has been left on to our own devices.
In this situation, we appeal to all those who have previously shown responsibility and received the COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated with a booster dose as soon as it becomes possible for them. Research in other countries has shown that being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the risk of severe disease, but this protection wanes over time. Receiving a booster dose will strengthen the body's ability to fight the virus. This is especially important for older individuals and those with other illnesses. In younger people, too, a booster shot will reduce the risk of infection, illness, and transmission of the virus to others. The introduction of effective, easy-to-use home remedies in the near future will further protect those who become infected. Although such drugs will not take the place of vaccines, they will complement their effect and allow another step to be taken on the road to normality.
Let us all place our trust in science and the facts and get vaccinated with a booster.
About the team
The Interdisciplinary COVID-19 Advisory Team to the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences was set up on 30 June 2020. The team is chaired by Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, President of the PAS, with Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć (Jagiellonian University) as deputy chair and Dr. Anna Plater-Zyberk (Polish Academy of Sciences) as its secretary. Other members of the team are:
• Dr. Aneta Afelt (University of Warsaw)
• Prof. Małgorzata Kossowska (Jagiellonian University)
• Prof. Radosław Owczuk, MD (Medical University of Gdańsk)
• Dr. Anna Ochab-Marcinek (PAS Institute of Physical Chemistry)
• Dr. Wojciech Paczos (PAS Institute of Economics, Cardiff University)
• Dr. Magdalena Rosińska, MD (National Institute for Public Health – National Hygiene Institute, Warsaw)
• Prof. Andrzej Rychard (PAS Institute of Philosophy and Sociology),
• Dr. Tomasz Smiatacz, MD (Medical University of Gdańsk)
