The Ministry of Health has announced that people who received the second dose in the last three months can now get the Covid-19 booster vaccine instead of waiting for six months.
The announcement has opened doors to all recipients who received all doses but were waiting six months to get the booster vaccine.
“The waiting time for the Covid-19 booster dose has been reduced to three months from six months. Rwandans who meet these criteria are encouraged to get a booster shot at their nearest health Centre or vaccinate,” the announcement reads.
The Covid-19 booster vaccines increase the immunity against the new variant.
The covid-19 booster vaccine was introduced last month by the Ministry of Health to people who were given two doses of vaccines.
Meanwhile, medical research has indicated that after six months, the immunity provided by the Covid-19 starts to shrink and it requires a booster vaccine for full immunity.
The Minister of State, in Charge of Primary Health Care, Tharcisse Mpunga, says that the booster Covid-19 will be given starting Thursday.
“The Ministry of Health will start the program of giving booster vaccines in the city of Kigali beginning with the elderly from 50 years and above and 30 to 49-year-old with chronic diseases or those who have diseases that can reduce their immunity as well as the health workers.”
Mpunga said the immunization will take place in health centers, district hospitals and other vaccinations centers. “It will be done in stages, starting with the City of Kigali but other areas will follow soon,” Mpunga added.
Vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm jabs are administered twice while Johnson & Johnson are administered once.
Experts have already shown that booster vaccines are expected to be stronger vaccines than earlier ones.
More than 5.9 million Rwandans have been vaccinated and 3.3 million fully vaccinated while 80% of Rwandans received the second dose according to officials.
