42pc receive booster jabs

FORTY-TWO per cent of citizens and residents aged 40 and above who are eligible for the Covid-19 booster shot have received the third jab, it was revealed yesterday.

The National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (Covid-19) said 250,000 adults aged 40 and above qualified for the booster – of which 105,000 had already received the shot.

The task force said it aims to administer booster doses to 80pc of those eligible – or 200,000 individuals. A total of 95,000 more people will need to be jabbed for the country to reach the target.

The task force called on those eligible to register to maximise their immunity to Covid-19 variants.

“This is of particular importance for at-risk groups and adults aged 40 and above,” the task force said in a statement yesterday.

The GDN yesterday reported that individuals aged 40 and above, who have taken both doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, can now register for the booster shot.

They can now receive the jab one month after their second dose – down from three months stipulated earlier.

Those who are eligible but have not received the booster by August 31 will see their green shield turn to yellow.

The task force stressed the safety and efficacy of the booster shot, asserting that none of the individuals who have received it have had any complications till date.

Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Waleed Al Manea had said that the country will not enter the green Covid-19 alert level, and will stay in yellow, orange or red – based on the spread of the Covid-19 virus – until 80pc of eligible individuals aged 40 and above are inoculated.

Source: https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/962693/42pc-receive-booster-jabs