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ARCHIVED - Spain announces an immediate third Covid vaccine for the elderly
The booster vaccine will also be extended to people with compromised immune systems throughout Spain
The Public Health Commission has announced on Thursday September 16 that seniors living in nursing homes will be administered a third coronavirus vaccine immediately, rather than waiting until October or the start of the flu jab season as had previously been suggested.
The directors of Public Health of the Ministry and autonomous communities have agreed on the move given the vulnerability of this older age group to additional health conditions and the risks that come with living in such close proximity to others.
A total of seven regions asked the Health Minister, Carolina Darias, to provide the vaccine booster but she delayed making a decision on the matter until the Vaccine Report was completed, indicating which groups should be prioritised for a third dose. In fact, the issue has been dividing Covid experts for months.
Last week, the Spanish government authorised a booster jab for people who had undergone an organ or bone marrow transplant and those currently being treated for cancer with anti-CD-20 drugs. Now it has been agreed that this will be extended not only to older people living in care homes, but also to individuals on dialysis, those receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy, cystic fibrosis and HIV patients and people over the age of 40 with Down syndrome.
Much of the debate surrounding the third dose centres on the fact that many poorer countries are still struggling to immunise their populations and the World Health Organisation actually suggested that a booster jab should be delayed if at all possible. However, with pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna recommending a third vaccine before the end of the year due to the prevalence of the Delta variant, Spain has conceded that the most sensible course of action is to administer a booster to those with compromised immune systems to bring them up to the same level as double jabbed healthy individuals. The Ministry of Health has committed to constantly reviewing the groups in need of the extra vaccine while the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are standing firm on the belief that it is not currently necessary for the general population.
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