GHA to offer Covid-19 vaccine booster jabs to people aged 50 and older
The Gibraltar Health Authority has announced plans to offer a single booster shot of the Covid-19 vaccine to everyone in Gibraltar aged 50 and over.
The booster jab will be offered six months after the second dose of the vaccine and the UK Government has already confirmed that it will make the supplies available.
The decision was announced on Thursday after the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the body that advise the UK Government on vaccination, recommended top-up shots for anyone aged 50 and over.
The Gibraltar Government adopted the decision locally on the advice of the Medical Director of the Gibraltar Health Authority and the Director of Public Health for the Gibraltar Health Authority.
Booster vaccinations will be scheduled once the necessary supply of Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine is delivered from the UK.
In addition to all people aged 50 and over in Gibraltar, the booster will also be offered to all front-line health and care staff, anyone aged 12 to 49 with an underlying serious health condition and people living with anyone who is immunosuppressed.
“Now that the JCVI has determined it is appropriate for booster vaccinations to be given to people over 50 plus some other groups and our Medical Director Dr Krishna Rawal and our Director of Public Health Dr Helen Carter have advised that it is safe and appropriate to proceed with these booster doses in Gibraltar, I can confirm that the GHA will be implementing the plans for booster vaccinations as soon as we receive vaccine supplies from the UK,” said the Minister for Health, Samantha Sacramento.
“The UK Government have once again confirmed that all necessary supplies of the vaccine will be made available to Gibraltar to allow the booster programme to be completed and our grateful thanks are due to the UK for this continued support.”
Dr Helen Carter, Director of Public Health for Gibraltar, added: “The vaccination programme is helping to save lives and greatly reduce the hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19.”
“Vaccinations are a key step in terms of helping us live with and beyond Covid-19 and allow many aspects of normal life to return.”
“Booster doses will help ensure that our older and more vulnerable people will continue to benefit from maximum protection as we head into this winter.”