Fiona Govan
SPAIN is rolling out a nationwide strategy to give a third dose of the vaccine to those already vaccinated in a bid to keep people protected as the Omicron variant spreads.
Currently, boosters are being offered to everyone over the age of 40 in Spain.
These can be requested in the same way that appointments were made for the first doses – you will have to request an appointment through regional health service who will have a dedicated webpage offering time slots at various vaccination points in your area.
Those who were vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are eligible for a booster from six months after their received their second dose. While those were vaccinated with AstraZeneca or the one-dose Janssen only have to wait three months.
Spain’s Health Ministry clarified this week that those who have recently caught COVID should not have a booster dose until at least four weeks have passed since they tested positive regardless of whether they had symptoms or were asymptomatic.
“People for whom a booster dose is recommended who have had symptomatic or asymptomatic Covid-19 infections after the full primary vaccination course, will be administered a booster dose with mRNA at least four weeks after a diagnosis of the infection,” said Spain’s Health Ministry in official guidelines published on Wednesday.
The Vaccine Strategy update also clarified guidelines for vaccinating children. Currently Spain has rolled out a programme to vaccinate those between the age of 5 and 11 with the Pfizer vaccine dose for children.
This involves two injections given eight weeks apart and to those children who test positive to the virus, only one dose will be given at least four weeks after diagnosis.
Spain has seen infections sky rocket over the festive season with the latest data published on Wednesday showing the cumulative incidence rate of 2,433 cases per 100,000 people across Spain.
This rises to 5977 cases per 100,000 in Navarra and 4,505 in the Basque Country.
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