*** ----> Booster shots every 9 months for those aged 12 to 17 years | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Booster shots every 9 months for those aged 12 to 17 years

TDT | Manama  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Starting today, those between 12 and 17 years could take optional COVID-19 booster jabs every nine months. For those who recovered from the COVID-19 infection, the second booster dose is allowed six months after the date of infection and nine months following the first booster shot.

The National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) said the decision focuses on the latest epidemiological data and approvals by the Government Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

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Eligible individuals may take the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a second booster shot or a second dose of the same vaccine as the first booster shot. The Taskforce stated that the Green shield on the BeAware Bahrain application would not change to yellow for not opting for a second or future additional booster shot.

The Taskforce members emphasized the importance of receiving booster shots on time to preserve public health. In an earlier statement, Dr Lt Col Manaf Al Qahtani, an Infectious Disease Consultant and Microbiologist at the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Hospital and member of Taskforce, had stressed the importance of vaccinating children aged 3 - 11 years.

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Dr Al Qahtani stressed that vaccinations strengthen the immune system by increasing the number of antibodies providing necessary protection against COVID-19. He had also highlighted that studies demonstrated the role of vaccinations in reducing symptoms of the virus that may persist in some cases after recovery.