All AstraZeneca recipients can now get booster shots

People who have received two doses of the viral vector AstraZeneca vaccine can now book appointments for their booster shots, regardless of their age, as was announced by Catalan health authorities on Monday.

While most residents who were vaccinated with AstraZeneca are between the ages of 60 to 69, there are around 200,000 younger essential workers, such as teachers or police officers, who received the jab early on in the vaccination campaign. 

The health department will begin administering booster shots to people under the age of 60 this week, starting with people who are in their fifties and then gradually expanding coverage to younger age groups. 

In addition to this, from Thursday, fully vaccinated close contacts of positive Covid-19 cases will have to quarantine at home for 10 days, public health secretary Carmen Cabezas explained in a press conference on Monday morning.

And as pressure on the health system is on the rise — the primary care centers in Catalonia had 28,455 requests for Covid-related assistance on Friday alone — it will no longer test close contacts.  

This comes as European Commission greenlighted the use of the Novovax vaccine for people 18 and over hours after it was approved by the European Medicines Agency. 

Vaccination campaign in Catalonia

As of December 19, 2021, 6,190,005 residents have been given the first dose of the vaccine, 78.1% of the total population. Out of those, 5,383,760 have also been administered a second dose (68.1% of the total population). 6,028,115 residents are considered to be fully immunized (75.8%), while 1,425,122 have had booster shots.

Under 65s who have already had the virus are only required to have the first dose, and others have received a single-dose jab. Therefore, the % of two doses administered and % fully immunized do not match.