By Reuters Staff
(Reuters) – Many countries are rolling out COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, but there is no consensus among scientists that they are necessary and the World Health Organization wants the most vulnerable people worldwide to be fully vaccinated first.
The WHO on Dec. 9 largely stuck to its earlier guidance that only people with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get boosters.
However, concern about the emergent Omicron variant of the coronavirus has led some countries to expand their booster programmes or narrow the gap between the shots.
Here are some of the options countries and regions are considering:
NORTH AMERICA
U.S. health regulators on Nov. 19 expanded eligibility for booster shots to all fully vaccinated adults.
The U.S. CDC took a stance more cautious than previously and said on Nov. 30 everyone over 18 should get a booster shot as Omicron’s emergence emphasized the importance of vaccination.
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said booster doses of currently available COVID-19 vaccines work against the Omicron strain and there appears to be no need for variant-specific boosters.
Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization is recommending booster shots of an authorized mRNA vaccine to those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
EUROPE
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Nov. 24 recommended vaccine boosters for all adults, with priority for those over 40. Previously it had suggested the extra doses should be considered for frail older people and those with weakened immune systems.
The European Commission proposed on Nov. 25 that EU residents should need to have COVID-19 vaccine booster jabs if they want to travel to another country in the bloc next summer free of tests or quarantines.
The European Commission is recommending vaccinated people receive booster doses no more than six months after their initial shots, with a further three-month grace period for their COVID travel passes to be valid.
The EU’s drugs regulator said on Dec. 9 that data supports vaccine boosters after three months.
Contracts with Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna have included the potential for the bloc to buy booster shots.
These European countries are offering boosters to adults after they receive a full dose of a vaccine:
** Austria (soon to recommend for over-12s 4 months after second dose); Belgium (all over 18s); Britain (accelerated its programme offering jabs to over 18s by end-Dec, third dose after 3 months); Czech Republic; France (delivered 12.5 million booster shots and is targeting 20 million by Christmas, 4 months after second dose vs 5 previously); Germany (all over-18s); Greece (three months after second vaccine shot or positive test, down from six months previously); Hungary; Ireland (all adults); Italy (so far for over 40s, will be made available to all over 18s); Malta (all over-12s); Netherlands (starting with over-60s, booster gap of 3 months); Norway; Poland; Russia; Romania (only Pfizer or Moderna boosters were approved); Serbia; Slovakia; Spain (Pfizer or Moderna booster shots for all inoculated with J&J); Sweden (will begin gradual rollout to all adults)/.
These countries are offering boosters to people with weak immune systems, the elderly or vulnerable:
** Bulgaria; Denmark (cut booster shot interval to 4-1/2 months for over-40s from six months); Finland (may expand to other Finns later, booster gap narrowed to 3 months); Lithuania; Portugal (to be offered to a quarter of its population by the end of January, including over 50s inoculated with J&J vaccine); Slovenia; Spain (expanded from over-60s to over-40s); Switzerland (new recommendation for people under 65 expected in the next few weeks).
AFRICA
** Egypt will activate within days a plan to offer booster shots for senior citizens, people with chronic diseases and healthcare workers, the health ministry said on Nov. 24.
** Morocco, which has administered the most doses in Africa, started giving a third dose in October.
** Nigeria will start make booster shots available from Dec. 10 to those fully vaccinated.
** Tunisia (5 months after second dose).
ASIA, MIDDLE EAST
** India has no immediate plan to authorise vaccine boosters, the health ministry said on Dec. 10
These countries are offering boosters to adults after they receive a full dose:
** Bahrain (Sputnik V, all over-18s at least six months after second dose); Cambodia (AstraZeneca); Indonesia (health workers only, wider population planned in 2022); Israel (all over-12s); Malaysia (over-18s; mandatory for over-60s, those vaccinated with Sinovac, and high-risk groups); Singapore (booster gap reduced to 5 months); South Korea (reduced the booster gap for all adults to three months from four-to-five); Taiwan (booster gap reduced to 5 months); Thailand (AstraZeneca or mRNA-type booster shots to people who were administered Sinovac brand, second dose after 3 months); Turkey; UAE (mandatory for people inoculated with Sinopharm vaccine).
These countries are offering boosters to people with weak immune systems, the elderly or vulnerable:
** China; Hong Kong; Japan (started administering boosters to health care workers in early Dec., will offer shots to elderly as of January, after 6 months from last dose vs 8 previously).
AUSTRALIA began administering Pfizer COVID booster shots in November to fully vaccinated adults. It will cut the time interval for booster shots to five from six months.
LATIN & CENTRAL AMERICA
These countries are offering boosters to adults after they receive a full dose:
** Brazil; Uruguay (offers a Pfizer dose for those fully vaccinated with Sinovac).
These countries are offering boosters only to the immunosuppressed:
** Ecuador (boosters for general population planned from January 2022), Panama.
These are offering boosters to elderly, vulnerable and at-risk people:
** Chile; Brazil; Dominican Republic, El Salvador (elderly, health workers, people with underlying health conditions).
** Mexico plans to administer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses soon, beginning with elderly people.
COMPANIES
Pfizer/BioNTech, as well as Moderna, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorisation for the use of booster doses of their vaccines for all adults on Nov. 19.
The FDA authorized on Dec. 9 Pfizer/BioNTech booster for 16- and 17-year-olds.
BioNTech and Pfizer said on Dec. 8 that a booster shot of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant.
Moderna said it could have a COVID-19 booster shot targeting the Omicron variant tested and ready to file for U.S. authorization as soon as March.
Regulators had previously authorized boosters for all recipients of Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine, two months after their primary dose.
The European Union’s drug regulator (EMA) authorised the use of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for over-18s, at least six months after the second dose.
EMA is also considering an authorisation for AstraZeneca’s and Johnson & Johnson’s booster dose.
The EU regulator has started a rolling review of the inactivated-virus COVID-19 vaccine from French biotech firm Valneva.
Canada authorised booster doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for adults.
Australia’s medicine regulator Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved booster doses of Moderna vaccine for over 18-year-olds.
Japan approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for its booster programme.
(Compiled by Dagmarah Mackos, Veronica Snoj, Filipe Braganca; Editing by Catherine Evans/Mark Heinrich)
