Health updates the recommendations for booster vaccination against COVID-19 and encourages its application to maintain adequate protection

The Ministry of Health of the Nation updates the recommendations for the application of booster doses against COVID-19, in accordance with what is proposed by the National Immunization Commission (CoNaIn) and with the consensus of the holders of the health portfolios of the 24 jurisdictions, and recalls that the reinforcement strategy is essential to maintain adequate protection in order to prevent complications, hospitalizations and deaths from this disease.

Thus, it is strongly recommended that those who are within groups at high risk of developing severe forms of disease (people 50 years of age or older, people with immunocompromised and pregnant people) receive a booster dose against COVID-19 if 6 months have elapsed. from the last dose applied, regardless of the number of boosters previously received and respecting the minimum interval of at least 4 months from the last dose. According to the federal immunization registry, 9,314,083 people age 50 and older have not received a booster dose in the past 6 months.

People under 50 years of age with comorbidities (chronic diseases and obesity) and people at higher risk of exposure (health care workers) and strategic role are included in the medium risk group of experiencing severe illness or death from COVID-19 infection. . The recommendation for this group is that they receive a new booster 6 months after the last dose applied, and then an annual booster.

Lastly, booster vaccination against COVID-19 is available to people considered to be at low risk of complications, that is, under 50 years of age without comorbidities, and it is recommended that it be administered annually.

Faced with the beginning of the autumn-winter season and the consequent probability of increased circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which adds to the seasonal behavior of the influenza virus, the Ministry of Health of the Nation urges the population to update the application of booster doses against COVID-19 and placing special emphasis on the opportunity to co-administer the vaccines against COVID-19 and influenza as the main strategy in the prioritized groups, remembering that the protection conferred by vaccination is not immediate, but requires of at least 14 days to generate adequate protection.