The Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination (EC19V) said that the booster dose should be taken at least about 5 months after the last dose of their primary vaccine course, or as soon as possible.
They explained that this will help to maintain good protection against Covid-19 and in a subsequent press release by MOH, they said that the booster dose shouldn’t be delayed more than 9 months after the vaccine course.
Booster shot crucial
The expert committee said that the booster shot is crucial for the continued protection against Covid-19.
Data have shown that vaccine protection against Covid-19 reduces from around 6 months after completion of the primary vaccination course.
The protection against Omicron is weaker for the primary vaccination as compared to the Delta variant, while boosters help to increase protection against severe illness from Omicron.
Booster needed for full vaccination
The committee also recommended that from 14 February onwards, persons will be considered as fully vaccinated only for 270 days (about 9 months) after the last dose of their primary vaccination.
This is provided they are above 18-years-old and have completed their primary vaccination, and are eligible for booster shots.
Additionally, for now; vaccinated persons who have recovered from Covid-19 are not required to get an additional booster shot.