The interval for the booster dose will be reduced from six months to four months in Romania, Valeriu Gheorghiță, the coordinator of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, announced on Thursday, January 13.

The decision was taken as data show the protection offered by the vaccine drops four months after the initial vaccination scheme, he explained.

The change applies starting Monday, January 17, Gheorghiță explained.

The committee coordinating the vaccination campaign CNCAV recommends the mRNA vaccines for the booster dose. All those older than 12 can currently receive the booster dose in the country.

The booster dose started being administered in the country at the end of September last year. By January 12, 2.1 million people were vaccinated with the third dose. More than 7.9 million were fully vaccinated, and more than 8 million received the first dose by the same date. The country has the second-lowest full vaccination uptake in Europe, with a little over 40% of the population having received the jab.

Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise, with 9,785 cases reported on January 13 out of 63,714 tests: 20,583 PCR tests and 43,131 rapid tests.

(Photo: Gabriel Petrescu/ Dreamstime)

simona@romania-insider.com