Chile will administer a fourth dose of vaccine against the coronavirus from February, starting with the risk categories before extending the measure to the rest of the population, announced President Sebastian Piñera.
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"
The main concern and priority is to protect the life and health of our compatriots,
" he said Thursday, December 23 during an event marking the first anniversary of the launch by Chile of its vaccination campaign against Covid-19. The first to receive the booster shot will be healthcare workers, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. The country already has the required doses, assured Sebastian Piñera.
The Minister of Health, Enrique Paris, justified this decision by affirming that local studies "
really show that there is a drop in the level of antibodies
" which fight the virus six months after the last dose.
At least 16.5 million of the 19.2 million Chileans have a full two-dose vaccination schedule, or more than 86% of the population.
The country has recorded 1.7 million cases and 38,954 deaths, including 54 in the past 24 hours.
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Since the beginning of December, the vaccination campaign has been extended to children from the age of three.
At least two other countries, Israel and Brazil, have announced campaigns to give a fourth dose of the vaccine to their immunocompromised populations.