Immune-suppressed people in Andalucía to be offered a fourth dose of a coronavirus vaccine

The Junta de Andalucía announced on Tuesday, 22 February, that individuals in the region who are immune-suppressed will now be able to have a fourth Covid-19 vaccine, five to six months after their booster jab.

Sources at the regional Health ministry say that those who are in Group 7 or are taking medication which compromises their immune system will be eligible for this fourth dose, and they also point out that Andalucía has been the leader of the vaccination campaign in Spain, having given over 17.8 million doses so far.

The authorities say the sixth wave of the pandemic is definitely declining now and it can be considered at an end when the number of people who need hospital treatment for the virus is extremely low. However, they stress that the pandemic as a whole is still not over and the battle against it will have to continue.

It is unlikely that the requirement to wear masks inside buildings will be removed very soon, as the Junta de Andalucía’s spokesman, Elías Bendodo, says they have been proven to prevent infection, pointing out that with the use of masks and hand sanitiser last year there were hardly any cases of flu in Spain.

He did concede that if the sixth wave of the pandemic continues to decrease, it would be sensible for some measures to be eased, but insisted that masks will still be needed until public health experts say otherwise.