Spain approves Covid booster shots for care home residents

Health authorities in Spain have approved administering booster shots to care home residents to improve their immunity against Covid-19. 

This comes a day after the panel of vaccine experts advising the Spanish government on the coronavirus pandemic proposed giving the elderly third doses from October 4. Catalan authorities, however, expect to begin administering them next week. 

The public health committee - formed by Spain's health ministry and regional health ministries - also greenlighted giving immunocompromised people booster shots a week earlier. 

When the vaccination campaign began in December 2020, care home residents became a priority group, along with healthcare staff and people with severe disabilities living at home.

As of September 15, virtually all care home residents - 97.8% of them - have received two vaccine doses.

Overall, 5,824,340 people in Catalonia have been given the first dose of the vaccine, the equivalent of 73.6% of the total population. Out of those, 4,932,654 have also been administered a second dose (62.4% of the total population). 5,591,196 residents are considered to be fully immunized (70.7%). 

Covid-19 vaccination progress amongst priority groups