The World Health Organization’s, Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) has recommended that moderately and severely immunocompromised persons should be offered an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use.
In an update recently, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-Mckenzie says while SAGE has endorsed an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, it has not yet specified time intervals that would be involved.
However, she says the Health Ministry anticipates the full recommendations soon. The CMO noted that some manufactures such as Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna, have recommended time intervals for what they consider to be booster shots, however she added that no time interval has been given for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
She also note that some countries are using a 6 months time interval and it is possible that this will be the standard interval. The CMO is urging the relevant persons to obtain a letter from their doctor or doctors to submit the names of their patients to the health departments so arrangements can be made for the additional dose.
At the same time, the CMO notes that the W. H. O does not recommend booster doses at this time. She says there is also currently no recommendation for the mixing of vaccines.
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