Primary care nurses in the province of Malaga Spain have begun to administer the second booster vaccine against Covid-19
Health centres across Malaga began today- Monday, October 24- the mammoth task of inoculating almost 110,000 people aged between 60 to 64, a particular age group for which the fourth dose is recommended. The other two age groups, who were already in the process of being vaccinated, are those over 80 and those aged between 65 to 79.
Residents of care homes and centres for the disabled are also eligible to receive the vaccine.
The vaccines being administered are those manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna and are bivariate- meaning they have been ´tweaked´ in the lab to be effective against both Omni and variant types, including the initial strains of the coronavirus.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ensured that the vaccines being administered are more accurate and effective against the currently circulating variants of the virus. The EMA has said this will serve to offer a better immune response, even in the event of SARS-CoV-2 further evolving.
To book a vaccine appointment, residents can call their local health centre or call Salud Responde on 955 54 50 60. The service is available online via the ClicSalud+ page. There is also a free downloadable app called Health App Andalusia.
Each health centre in Andalusia, of course, has to plan well ahead to cater for vaccine appointments. In addition to administering the injection, the centre also has to register recipients on the Andalusian Health Care Database so everything is logged for future reference.
The Ministry of Health for Andalusia also states that people who are vaccinated will be offered the possibility of receiving other vaccines. One such vaccine protects against pneumococcus, a bacteria that causes serious illnesses such as meningitis, bacteremia and pneumonia.
The yearly flu vaccine will be offered at the same time as the booster jab. It is always advisable to ask your doctor if you should take these extra vaccines as every case is different and reactions vary from individual to individual.
No specific extra vaccine centres are planned to be opened to administer the fourth Covid booster jab. As more information on age groups for the fourth dose and flu vaccines become available we will publish it so please remember to check back regularly.
