Seniors, immunocompromised to receive Covid booster shot

An elderly man is administered the Covishield vaccine at the Social Center in Male' on February 9, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced the decision to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to individuals above the age of 60 years and immunocompromised individuals.

In a statement on Thursday evening, HPA announced that the Maldives Technical Advisory Group on Immunization has advised for a vaccine booster shot to be administered to those at risk of developing serious illness due to COVID-19 and frontline health workers.

HPA said that it has therefore decided to administer booster shots to two groups of individuals; individuals above the age of 60 years and individuals with compromised immune systems.

This includes:

Individuals who have undergone organ transplant

Individuals on immunosuppressants (including Methotrexate, Leflunomide, Mycophenolate, Tacrolimus, Cyclophosphamide, Cyclosporine, Azathioprine and Biologics such as Rituximab, Tocilizumab, Infliximab, Tofacitinib)

Individuals on long-term steroids (10 mg or higher for over one month)

Dialysis patients

Cancer patients on treatment or who have been on treatment less than one year ago

Individuals who are obese (BMI of 40 or more)

Individuals taking or recommended oxygen therapy at home by a doctor due to pulmonary disease

Individuals with pulmonary diseases such as COPS, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, or interstitial lung disease

Individuals with liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis

Diabetes patients with organ damage

Individuals who are bedridden due to old age or disease

HPA said that Pfizer vaccine will be administered as a booster shot. The booster shot will be administered minimum 60 days after the administration of the second shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Administration of booster shots will begin on October 3.

Booster shots will be administered in three hospitals in the greater Male’ region. They are: