Jamaica is now offering a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers, persons over 60 years old and members of the public with immune compromised conditions.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness made the announcement in a release last evening.
It says the decision follows recent confirmation of the globally dominant and highly transmissible Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants in Jamaica.
The Ministry says an additional booster dose will offer protection from infection and severe outcomes associated with COVID-19, particularly to members of highest risk groups.
Persons who have taken AstraZeneca are to receive the Pfizer vaccine as the second booster dose, four months following their first booster.
Persons who have taken a Pfizer vaccine are to receive Pfizer as the second booster dose four months following their first booster.
Persons who have taken the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are to take the Pfizer vaccine as the second booster dose at least four months after the first booster dose.
And persons who took the Sinopharm vaccine are to receive a second booster dose of the vaccine four months after the first booster.
As at Tuesday, August 16, 39,330 persons have received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.
A total of 710,718 persons have taken a first dose and 609,015 have had their second dose.
