Africa-Press – Mauritius. The national COVID-19 vaccination campaign for a third booster Sinopharm dose kickstarted this morning, at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower, in Ebène. The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, was present on the occasion.
In a statement, Dr Jagutpal underlined that all those who have had a second dose of Sinopharm vaccine, since more than four months, are eligible for the third dose.
This decision, he added, was taken by the COVID-19 committee after several discussions with relevant authorities so as to strengthen the immunity of the population against the different COVID-19 variants and also because of the re-opening of the country’s borders very soon.
As for those who have been administered with AstraZeneca (Covishield) and Covaxin vaccines, the Ministry is working with the Vaccination Committee and the High-Level Committee on COVID-19 to decide which vaccine will be administered as the booster dose, he stated.
Furthermore, the Health Minister recalled that some 76,000 doses of Pfizer under the COVAX facility was received this morning at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport and these will be administered to those under 18 years old.
The vaccination programme will start as from Tuesday 28 September 2021 and will be carried out on a span of three to four weeks, Dr Jagutpal indicated.
