Antigua & Barbuda reduces time gap of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca vaccines booster shots

Saint John’s: Government of Antigua and Barbuda announced a reduction in the time gap between the intake of booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The information was provided by the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Environment via press release on January 24, 2022, noting the change was essential since reported data and published studies revealed that additional vaccine protection is required against the Omicron variant. 

Changing the time intervals for vaccines booster shots was done on the recommendation of the COVID-19 Vaccination National Technical Working Group. Now, the time gap for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters has been reduced from 6 months to 5 months, whereas for AstraZeneca, the gap has been reduced from a time period of 6 months to 3 months after taking the second dose of both the WHO-approved vaccines. 

Meanwhile, seeing the seriousness of the viral disease, the government of Antigua and Barbuda commenced administering the booster shots of the Pzifer vaccine for children between 12 to 17 years of age.

These changes came into effect immediately. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment also informed the general public that the booster shots are available at the Multipurpose and Villa Polyclinics vaccination sites and at other health centres.  

At present, in Antigua and Barbuda, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are accessible for the persons at the COVID-19 vaccination sites across the country.  

Besides this, the health ministry encouraged the unvaccinated population to come forward and get their jabs of the COVID-19 vaccines, stating that it is the sole path to defeat the contagious virus.  

While asking the citizens of Antigua and Barbuda to follow the COVID-19 health protocols and guidelines, the statement issued by the health ministry further noted, “We also beseech you to adhere to the public health measures to prevent & control the disease. These include physical as well as social distancing, using face masks and practising hand hygiene and cough etiquette”.