COVID-19: Over 1,000 people get booster shots; first dose vaccination tops 400,000

A total of 1,085 people in eight of the 10 administrative regions have taken COVID-19 booster shots to enhance their protection against the disease, while more than 400,000 adults have received at least one vaccine dose.

This was announced by the Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony on Tuesday during his daily COVID-19 update. According to him, no one from Region One nor 10 has come forward to get a booster dose.

There have been varying levels of uptake in the other regions. In Region Two, four people have taken booster doses; in Region Three, 77 people; in Region Four, 739 people; In Region Five, 22 people; in Region Six, 173 people; in Region Seven, 12 people; in Region Eight, one person and in Region Nine, 75 people.

“… We expect these to change because as more people get familiar and know where to go, I guess we will see these numbers go up,” the Health Minister said.

Importantly, he said that booster doses are available in all administrations regions. These booster doses are being administered to some categories of adults, including all frontline workers, people with comorbidities and those aged 50 years and older.

For people who received double-dose vaccines, a booster dose would be the third dose; for those who received the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, a booster dose would be a second dose.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister also revealed that some 400,561 adults (0r 78.1 per cent of the targeted adult population) have taken at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Some 278,058 people have taken the first and second doses.

Additionally, 29,158 children between the ages of 12 to 18 have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while 20,385 children have received both doses.