Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Friday announced that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be made available from next Monday for persons 50 years and older and persons with comorbidities.
During his daily COVID-19 update, Anthony noted that the ministry for long has been contemplating how to move forward with the distribution of COVID-19 booster shots.
Anthony stated that based on data and recommendation from more stringent authorities, it was noted that a booster shot is necessary. This, he said, comes as data shows that after six months of being administered a second dose of a two-dose vaccine, the immunity begins to wane. According to the health minister, the waning immunity can see breakthrough infections occurring.
“Out of an abundance of caution what we are going to do from next week is that we want to make booster shots available to persons 50 years and above,” Dr. Anthony said. Further he noted that those persons can go to any one of the vaccination sites in the new week and they will be able to get a booster dose.
Additionally, he mentioned that there is a second category of persons who would be eligible for booster doses and that includes anyone 18 years and older that has some a comorbidity. As a result he mentioned that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified a number of conditions as comorbid conditions. These conditions include cancer, cerebral vascular diseases, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, HIV and chronic lung disease. Persons with mental health disorders and a number of other conditions would also be eligible.
Anthony noted that persons will be eligible for booster doses once the six month period after receiving their second dose of a vaccine has passed. He stated that the ministry would not need to acquire booster shots as there is currently an existing stock of vaccines that is being distributed.
He also stated that the ministry will be putting together a list of the vaccines for persons who would like to receive their booster dose and more information as it relates to the possibility of having a different vaccine than they were first given, as a booster shot now.
