CMO: At-risk groups should accept booster jabs of the coronavirus vaccine

Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller said that at-risk groups should accept booster jabs of the coronavirus vaccine to fend off new variants of the disease.

 

According to MTI, the CMO said booster jabs will be available from August 1 for those who have received their second vaccine at least 4 months prior. Elderly citizens and those battling chronic illness or have a weakened immune system are especially encouraged to register for a booster jab, she said.

Müller added that those who received two doses of a vector vaccine earlier should get an inactivated vaccine or one based on mRNA technology as a booster jab, to achieve a stronger immune response. At the same time, GPs and doctors will have the last decision on the individual jabs, she said.

The CMO said the number of new coronavirus cases in Hungary has grown by 20 percent in recent weeks. Trace amounts of the virus detected in wastewater, an indicator of the pandemic’s course in the coming weeks, have grown in Budapest and the cities of Pécs, Miskolc, Szekszárd and Salgótarján, she said. While case numbers are as yet low, the growth is obvious and is clearly driven by the delta variant of the virus. The variant is expected to cause 80-90 percent of new infections, she added.