Greece’s National Vaccination Committee announced the categories of citizens who should receive the updated vaccines against Covid-19, approved to be administered exclusively as a booster shot. The 3rd booster shot is for the Omicron variants.
According to the members of the vaccination committee, before the administration of the updated bivalent vaccine, the completion of the basic vaccination is required.
The Committee recommends a booster shot with the upgraded vaccines (BA.1, BA.4/BA.5) against the coronavirus in a period of at least 3 months after the last dose of the vaccine or the illness from the coronavirus.
Vaccinated with the booster shot should be:
• to all persons aged 60 and over
• in people aged 12-59 who belong to high-risk groups (see Tables 1 and 2 below) according to the instructions of the attending physician
• to residents and workers in care units for the elderly or other care units for the chronically ill
• to health professionals
• in people living with people who are immune-suppressed or have other underlying diseases (see Tables 1 and 2)
• to caregivers of people suffering from diseases that increase the risk of complications from coronavirus
It is clarified that:
-People who have already been vaccinated with the second booster dose of the monovalent vaccines and belong to the above groups can be vaccinated with the updated bivalent vaccines (as long as at least 3 months have passed).
– Persons who became ill after the administration of the second booster dose of the monovalent vaccines have no contraindication and can be vaccinated with the updated bivalent vaccines with the consent of the attending physician.
– The possibility of vaccination with bivalent updated vaccines for a second booster or third booster dose is individually provided to people aged 30 to 59 who do not belong to the above categories with the consent of the attending physician.
It is emphasized again that the timely vaccination of the above groups with the updated bivalent vaccines is more important than the type of vaccine to be administered.
*Primary vaccination includes two doses of monovalent mRNA vaccines or protein vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine for the general population and 3 doses of monovalent mRNA vaccines for immunocompromised patients.
Vaccination with the 3rd booster shot against subvariant Omicron BA1 started on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Appointments can be booked at the platform emvolio.gov.gr.
According to health authorities, vaccines against Omicron subvariants 4 and 5 will reportedly start at the beginning of October 2022.
Tables
Table 1: high risk groups for which booster shot is recommended includes among others: chronic respiratory, kidney and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, several forms of cancer,
Table 2: Immune-suppresing drugs
via healthreport.gr
PS it is not quite clear why one should get a vaccination for Omicron 1 now, when one can get for Omicron 4 and 5 some three weeks later.
For sure, one should check with physician and clear things that seem too complicated for the average citizen.
“The Committee recommends a booster shot with the upgraded vaccines (BA.1, BA.4/BA.5) against the coronavirus in a period of at least 3 months after the last dose of the vaccine or the illness from the coronavirus.”
This statement is a bit misleading. Anybody who has had 2 booster shots already is regarded as being fully protected for a period of 6 months from the last booster dose. If you log onto the Emvolio web site before that 6 months is up it does NOT give you the option to book a third booster dose. It simply lists the doses you have already had and offers a link to get a vaccination certificate. It does not explain why it isn’t offering the third booster dose. I tried to book appointments for myself and some friends today, all 5 months after our second booster, and had to phone my pharmacist to find out why it would not allow me to do so.
2 booster do not cover the Omicron variants, that why 3rd booster out now.
what did pharmacist say?
The pharmacist logged onto their Emvolio system using my AMKA and reported that I am shown as fully protected because it is less than 6 months since I had my second booster.
I completely agree with you that one purpose of the third booster is to introduce a vaccine more closely related to Omicron. Perhaps someone should tell the minister? Yet another example where the online system does not actually do what the government says it does. I suppose I should be used to it by now. I aim to fly to the UK for a couple of weeks in mid October. It would have been nice to get a more up-to-date vaccine, both in terms of timescale and type, before travelling.