Ministry of Health has approved the recommendations of the Expert Council on Immunoprophylaxis Supervision regarding the administration of a second booster dose of mRNA vaccine to all willing individuals aged 18 and over who have received primary immunization with the Janssen vaccine. The second booster dose can be administered at least 4 months after the first booster to individuals immunized with the Janssen vaccine.
The second booster dose of mRNA vaccine is highly recommended for the following categories of individuals aged 18 and over with primary immunization with the Janssen vaccine:
- Immunocompromised individuals;
- Transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy;
- Patients on chronic dialysis;
- Patients with oncohematological diseases;
- Residents and staff in social institutions providing long-term care for the elderly;
- Medical professionals involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients;
- Elderly individuals aged 65 and over.
The Expert Council's opinion states that in several EU member states (Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Malta, etc.), the possibility of administering a second booster dose of mRNA vaccine to individuals with primary immunization with the Janssen vaccine has already been provided, due to the lower levels of effectiveness of this vaccine and the need to boost the immune response over a certain time interval.
The second booster vaccine against COVID-19 can be administered at the vaccination points of the Regional Health Inspectorates, the offices of general practitioners, as well as in medical institutions for hospital and outpatient medical care.
As of Wednesday, August 3, the National Immunization Register – part of the National Health Information System – will allow the entry of a second booster mRNA vaccine administered to individuals who have received primary immunization with the Janssen vaccine, and citizens will also receive a vaccination certificate. Information Service is already working on adapting the system's functionalities.
The certificate will be identical to that for the first booster dose, with the only exception being the numbering of the administered vaccine – for the second booster vaccine, the certificate will indicate 3/3. This certificate, like the certificate for the first booster vaccine, will be indefinite, as long as the current European regulation does not provide otherwise.