LISBON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Portugal started to offer a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to elderly people and nursing home residents, the country's Directorate-General of Health (DGS) said on Monday.
The second booster dose was initially scheduled to be administered only in early autumn of this year but was brought forward due to the increase in the number of new infections in Portugal.
According to the DGS, this week those over the age of 80 will be offered the shot at vaccination centers or health centers.
The DGS's Technical Commission for Vaccination Against COVID-19 (CTVC) has recommended this second booster dose to improve "the protection of the most vulnerable members of the population, given the current increase in the number of new cases."
The DGS estimates that around 750,000 people should be immunized over the next four months, including those who recover from COVID-19 during this period.
Subsequently, the second booster dose will be offered to children and young people aged between 12 and 15 and to those with immunocompromised conditions. ■
