LUSAKA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Zambia will introduce COVID-19
booster vaccines as it battles the respiratory disease which has
infected over 200,000 people and killed more than 3,000, Health
Minister Sylvia Masebo said on Thursday.
The southern African nation also plans to start vaccinating
children agred 12-17, who until now have not been elegible for
the COVID-19 jab, Masebo said at a media briefing.
"Zambia will begin to administer the booster vaccines for
COVID-19 commencing on 27th December, 2021," Masebo said.
Masebo said primary vaccination, currently below 15% of the
eligible population, would however remain a priority as Zambia
seeks to raise its coverage to 70% by June next year.
Zambia was now battling a fourth wave of COVID-19, Masebo
said, and more cases of the Omicron variant continued to be
detected.
The booster vaccines would be administered to adults above
18 years and priority would be given to health workers and later
those with health conditions that made them vulnerable.
The booster vaccines would later be made avaialble to those
who had been fully vaccinated and were willing to take another
jab to enhance or restore their immunity, Masebo said.
Those who took AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Pfizer
and Moderna could take a booster six months
after full vaccination while Johnson & Johnson
receipients could take it after two months.
Masebo said the government was concerned about the rapidly
spreading community infection, including children below the age
of 18, who had not been spared from severe disease and death.
"The council of ministers resolved that Zambia will begin to
administer the Pfizer vaccine, which has been found to be safe
and effective in children 12 years and upward," Masebo said.
Most people now being treated with severe disease had not
been vaccinated against COVID-19, Masebo said.
(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Giles Elgood)