The minimum age for those eligible for the booster has been lowered by five years.
Maltese residents aged 60 and over can receive their second COVID-19 booster dose in the coming days.
This was revealed by Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne in a tweet earlier today.
“Following today’s ECDC/EMA Joint Statement, Malta will be offering the second COVID-19 booster dose to residents aged 60 and over,” he wrote.
This brings the minimum age of those eligible for the booster down by five years.
“Residents in the 60 to 65 age group will receive an invite for vaccination in the coming days,” the Minister continued.
In their statement, the ECDC and EMA noted that, given the new wave of COVID-19 spreading across Europe, it is “critical” that public health authorities “consider people between 60 and 79 as well as vulnerable persons of any age for a second booster.”
The entities went on to highlight that said booster is to be administered to those that received their last booster at least four months. Having said that, priority should be given to those that received their previous booster “more than six months ago,” the ECDC and EMA added.
Malta is battling its own wave of COVID-19, with latest data showing that there are currently 7,764 active cases in the country. 355 new cases were registered today.