Dr. Beer Explains Booster Shots

Last night we told you about Cabinet’s approval for booster shots. Currently, these are being made available for persons sixty years and older, persons with co-morbidities, and health care workers. A booster shot is basically a third shot of COVID-19 vaccine taken five months after taking the first two doses of vaccine. And, soon enough, the Ministry of Health and Wellness will be recommending that the entire vaccinated population take the booster shot. Today we spoke to Dr Natalia Beer at the Ministry.

Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer

Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Maternal & Child Health Advisor

“The booster doses, we were looking at them for a couple of months, and we haven’t completed the homework. But, so far we know that the administration of the booster doses will help to improve the protection of persons who have received vaccines. And, the reasons why is because there is evidence that there is a reduced protections amongst certain populations, against mild and moderate diseases, that there is greater infectiousness, especially those who are affected by Delta variant. So, that is the two main reasons why we need to get a booster dose. You know that health care workers are at greater risk of being exposed to the virus, because they provide care to persons who get ill. We know the majority are unvaccinated persons that are reaching to our hospitals. So, we have seen that there are small outbreaks, cluster of cases among health care workers. So, health care workers are on the top of the list again, to receive booster dose.”