If you are older than 50 an additional booster vaccine is now available to provide you with more protection against the Covid-19 virus.
As of 6 June people older than 50 years became eligible for another Pfizer booster vaccine if they have received their last booster of either Pfizer or J&J at least four months ago.
Dr Saadiq Kariem, head of operations at the provincial health department, outlines the changes in the vaccinations schedule for this age group as follows:
If you received the J&J vaccine, the first booster is administered after 60 days since the original dose and the second booster after 90 days since the first booster – there is a choice between J&J and Pfizer.
A third additional booster can now be administered 120 days after the second booster.
Similarly, if you received the full series of Pfizer vaccines, which consists of two doses of the vaccine and one booster shot, a second additional booster can now be administered 120 days after the first booster.
“It is evident in the recent resurgence of Covid-19 infections that the vaccine does work and offers protection against severe illness and death,” says Kariem.
According to provincial health, almost 5,5 million vaccines have been administrated leading to about three million people being vaccinated in the Western Cape.
“The province has achieved the target of 70% of those aged 60 years and older having received their full primary vaccination series. We now need to focus on 50-59 years to reach 70% coverage while concerted efforts are developed and initiated to increase uptake among younger age groups, especially 18-34 years and 12-17 years,” says a spokesperson for the department.
“During this resurgence we have seen new infections increase, but this has not led to admissions and death reaching considerable heights.
“Our latest data shows that among Covid-19 cases diagnosed in the current resurgence, vaccination provides strong protection against hospitalisation and death with a 3,6 times lower risk if boosted; and severe admission in ICU being 4,3 times lower risk if boosted.
“If we really want to stay safe against Covid-19 during this winter, we need to learn to live with the virus in our midst.
“Yet, we still require a big whole of society effort to continue to generate increased targeted demand for unvaccinated persons and the take up of boosters for vaccinated persons,” Kariem adds.
