MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

All Argentines will get a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, health minister says

Vizzotti stressed Argentina needs to look out for a pandemic of the unvaccinated come next Fall

Argentina's Health Minister Carla Vizzotti Wednesday announced the country's “entire population will receive the booster dose” of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vizzotti stressed authorities already have the supply for this campaign. “We have already started with health care staff and people over 70 years old according to provincial plans.”

“A reinforcement of immunity is clearly needed; we saw it with the new variants,” the minister said in a radio interview. “It is known that over time all vaccines decrease immunity, and especially this type of vaccine that behaves similarly to the flu one. It is possible that a periodic booster is needed,” Vizzotti explained.

“We must prepare strongly for the coming Autumn with the entire population vaccinated with two doses and with the reinforcements that are needed,” she added.

“The entire population, regardless of the vaccine they have received, after six months is in a position to receive a booster, so that a new stimulus is received on this primary scheme and that immunity is prolonged over time,” the minister went on.

The health official also said it was very important to take into account what happened in the northern hemisphere, with “the pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

“In Israel it is clearly seen that people vaccinated with three doses have much less incidence of cases, hospitalization and death,” she pointed out.

The minister also highlighted Argentina's “advancing in the world ranking of people vaccinated with one and two doses,” which “translates into this epidemiological situation and stability in the number of cases.” She also said Argentina was “already above the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Germany and the European Union,” regarding the rate of vaccination.