Health Minister – More than 1000 Covid-19 boosters administered so far

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, disclosed that the Covid-19 booster programme has picked
up after one week, with more than 1000 persons already coming forward to receive the doses.
He made this disclosure during the COVID-19 update on Monday, the programme has been
received favourably by adults. “Currently, we have 1,085 persons who took the boosters. We
have in Region One zero so far, nobody has come forward to get the booster shot. In Region
Two, we have four persons who came forward; Region Three, 77; Region Four, 739; Region
Five, 22; Region Six, 173; Region Seven, 12; Region Eight, one; Region Nine, 57, and Region
Ten, zero,” Dr Anthony said.
Minister Anthony said that though persons in Regions One and Ten have not yet come forward
for the shot, he expressed that the hope that the programme will gather more traction over the
next few weeks. Dr. Anthony said that booster doses are currently available at all of the Health
Minitry’s vaccination sites countrywide. “I’m optimistic that all persons 50 years and older,
would certainly come out and get their booster shot, once it is more than six months out of the
second dose. And for those persons who are on the frontline, they need to get their boosters
because of the risk of getting COVID-19 infection,” he declared.
He disclosed that booster shots are available for all persons 50 years and above. Government has
also made provisions to vaccinate persons 18 years and older with a booster dose if they have
comorbidities, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Health Minister had
previously said, on many occasions, that the Covid-19 vaccines are designed to limit the chances
of persons contracting the severe form of the disease, which oftentimes lead to death.