Coronavirus: Reducing time before booster dose being considered

Cyprus is considering reducing the time for booster dose eligibility from six to five months, a government advisor said on Saturday while calling on adults to get their third anti-coronavirus jab.

The advisor was speaking about students arriving from abroad, saying that they may receive a booster jab if five months and two weeks have passed since their latest vaccine dose at walk-in centres.

Booster jabs seem to be protecting people from the virus more efficiently, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Virology at the Medical School of the University of Nicosia Dr Petros Karayiannis said.

He added that soon the government may announce the possibility to receive the booster five months after the second dose or since the single-shot Janssen.

To date, the vaccination portal only allows access to people when six months have passed since their last dose.

However, free walk-in vaccination centres that operate without an appointment are offering boosters a couple of weeks sooner, Karayiannis said. His statements echoed health ministry spokesman Constantinos Athanasiou who confirmed that walk-ins are “unofficially” administering third doses to people before the six-month interval.

Meanwhile on Saturday afternoon, an open discussion will take place on myths and realities surrounding the coronavirus pandemic at the Strovolos municipal theatre. The initiative is organised by the health ministry and the Pancyprian Medical Association, as part of the campaign to inform the people about the development of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Athanasiou said the campaign will take place in other districts as well, as a second open discussion is scheduled next Saturday at the Polemidia municipal theatre in Limassol.