Earlier today, Health Minister Chris Fearne gave the country an update about the COVID-19 booster shot roll-out – and it’s looking like the general population’s going to be getting much sooner than we thought!
Minister Fearne made the announcement during a live stream following a mild spike in active COVID-19 cases.
"We have made the decision to give the booster to everyone," he said.
The Health Minister indeed confirmed that Malta now plans to offer a COVID-19 booster jab to anyone aged 12 and over.
This comes after a somewhat concerning 40 new cases were registered overnight – the highest daily number in the last six weeks.
So, when are you getting it?
The booster shot has already been administered to those in the over 70s category. The next priority groups are the teachers and healthcare workers, who will start getting their booster next Monday.
The over 60s group will be offered to take the jab from the 6th December, and the over 45s will be able to do so from the first week of January.
At this point in time 94 per cent of the Maltese population has taken the vaccine shot, and 75 per cent of the over 70s group have gotten the booster jab.
What about the spike in cases?
"We believe the booster will make a big difference in Malta," Minister Fearne said.
The Health Minister assured the public that whilst there has been an increase in cases, the situation at Mater Dei hospital is still stable and positive cases are only experiencing mild symptoms.
He stated that now “is the time to monitor the situation and while we will not add any measures, we will also not be removing any”.