Coronavirus: Boosters for 60+ and vulnerable groups from tomorrow

People aged 60 and over will be able to get a booster shot against Covid-19 as of Tuesday, the health ministry announced on Monday.

Eligible are people who have completed their vaccination regimen at least six months prior to the date the booster jab will be administered.

According to the health ministry, people over 60 wishing to get a booster shot will be able to do so either by booking an appointment through the vaccination portal or directly at the walk-in centres between Monday and Thursday, from 8am to 1pm.

As regards the vulnerable groups announced by cabinet last week, they will be contacted by the ministry to make an appointment.

These groups are people with severe chronic respiratory disease, severe chronic heart and vascular disease, with severe chronic kidney disease, with severe chronic liver disease, severe chronic neurological disease, with diabetes and other endocrine disorders and people with hemoglobinopathies.

Until Sunday, 30,766 people had received the booster shot.

The adult population’s vaccination coverage with at least the first dose reached 81.7 per cent while those fully vaccinated is at 79.3 per cent.

Among teenagers aged 16 and 17, a total of 39.4 per cent are now fully vaccinated, while 41.7 per cent have received at least the first dose. As regards 12 to 15-year-olds, 27.6 per cent have received at least the first dose of a vaccine, and 25.2 per cent have received both.

According to the health ministry’s spokesperson Margarita Kyriakou, though initially more children would go to the centres for vaccinations the numbers have now dropped.

She told state broadcaster CyBC they hope that the information campaign running by the paediatricians’ society, would boost numbers.

Meanwhile, deputy head of the state nursing service Evagoras Tambouris told CyBC that around 500 pupils and students are vaccinated during weekends.

He said that the arrival of people at the walk-in centres overall was “satisfactory”. According to Tambouris between 1,500 and 3,000 booster shots are being administered at the walk-ins. He added that so far around 92,000 people have been vaccinated in these centres.