At-risk groups to be offered 2nd COVID-19 vaccine booster in Lithuania

VILNIUS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- From Aug.1, the second booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to people in Lithuania who are at increased risk for severe disease, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday.

This decision is based on the latest recommendations of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECPCC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and on suggestions made by the experts of the ministry's working group.

People over the age of 60 years and those suffering from chronic diseases, regardless of age, will be offered the second booster dose if their health condition increases the likelihood of serious illness after consultation with their family doctor.

The second booster dose can only be administered a minimum of six months after the first booster. For the elderly, the authorities also recommend influenza and pneumococcal vaccination.

The number of daily coronavirus infections has been increasing in Lithuania since the beginning of July. In the past 24 hours, Statistics Lithuania has confirmed 1,307 new cases. Lithuania's population was 2.68 million in January 2022.