Health workers in Macao are redoubling efforts to give Covid-19 booster jabs to the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
The appointment system is now up and running, and vaccination services will start tomorrow.
Particularly at risk are anyone over 60, those aged 12 and above who are immunocompromised, and people aged from 18 to 59 who live in elderly or rehabilitation care homes.
Those who have already received one booster dose should get double boosted three months (no less than 12 weeks) after the first booster dose.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre said that elderly persons and immunosuppressed individuals are much more susceptible to severe illness, hospitalisation and death than the general population if infected with Covid-19.
The Centre said that it is best to take the mRNA vaccine for the first and second boosters, particularly for those who took an inactivated vaccine for their primary series, because sequential vaccination using mRNA vaccine as the booster vaccine (that is, mixing jabs) is expected to yield better protection.
During the recent Covid-19 outbreak, Macao recorded six deaths involving infected elderly people. The Centre said that to lower the risk of another large-scale outbreak and the risk of severe illness or death, people who are at high risk of Covid-19 infection should be inoculated with a second booster dose as soon as possible.
