Brazil plans booster Covid vaccine drive

The brazillian health ministry said on Wednesday that the country will give Covid-19 booster shots to people with compromised immune system and those over the age of 70. The vaccination would begin in mid-September.

For booster shots, vaccines from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer will be used, said the ministry in a statement.

The information differs from remarks on Tuesday by Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga, who had said vulnerable people and over 80-year-olds would receive an additional jab of the Pfizer.

Rapid spread of the Delta variant and research suggesting diminishing effectiveness of vaccines over time has led to many countries planning booster vaccine drives.

Sinovac's Coronavac vaccine, which was used for many elderly people in Brazil because it was the earliest available in large quantities, is not part of the plans outlined for the booster shots.

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The extra shots will be administered to those with vulnerable immune systems 28 days after their second dose. For those 70 and over, the ministry stipulated a six-month interval before applying a booster shot.

Also starting next month, the gap between the first and second shots of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines will fall to eight weeks from 12 weeks for all those vaccinated in Brazil.

Brazil has had more than 20.6 million confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 575,000 fatalities due to the virus.

(With inputs from agencies)