Saudi Gazette report

MANAMA — Bahrain has reduced the waiting period for the shot for citizens and residents aged 40 and above, the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported on Friday.

According to the report, people who are 40 years of age and older and have taken both doses of the Sinopharm vaccine can now register for the booster shot.

They can now receive the jab one month after their second dose — down from three months, the BNA reported citing a statement from the country's coronavirus taskforce.

The national taksforce said in the statement that their goal is to administer booster shots to 95,000 individuals aged 40 and above to reach a target of 80 percent.

It added that the total number of adults aged 40 and above who are eligible for a booster vaccination is 250,000. Of these individuals, 105,000 have already received a booster dose.

All those eligible for a booster dose are encouraged to register for and receive one to maximize their immunity to COVID-19 variants. This is of particular importance for at-risk groups and adults aged 40 and above.

On Wednesday (July 28), Bahrain's national coronavirus taskforce highlighted the effectiveness of the booster dose based on medical indicators and statistics.

The taskforce noted that 131,192 individuals had received a booster dose by July 27. Of those who have received the booster dose, only 71 individuals (0.05 percent) contracted COVID-19 14 days after the dose was administered.

None of the individuals who were infected with the virus, 14 days after taking the booster dose, required hospital treatment. This suggests that the booster dose is effective at relieving the severity of symptoms, which may sometimes lead to death.

The taskforce urged citizens and residents to take the vaccination to enhance community immunity and safeguard public health.

Booster shots have been attributed to significantly reduced deaths as zero deaths and hospitalizations were recorded in Bahrain for individuals after two weeks of receiving a booster shot.