MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2022) Colombian President Ivan Duque announced Wednesday that the government has reduced the waiting interval between receiving the initial doses and a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine from six to four months.
"Individuals over the age of 18 who have already received two doses of vaccine, or a single dose as with Janssen vaccine, can receive a booster shot in four months instead of six," Duque said on Twitter.
Furthermore, Duque stressed that those recovered from COVID-19, will be able to get vaccinated in 30 days instead of six months. Nonetheless, all Colombians with coronavirus symptoms must be isolated for one week, regardless of their vaccination status. Non-vaccinated and asymptomatic citizens who contacted an infected person are also subject to a one-week quarantine, except for vaccinated persons without symptoms.
Colombia, a 50-million strong Latin American country, is currently facing another surge of COVID-19 incidence with over 25,000 new cases registered daily, which is a nearly tenfold increase compared to the number of cases detected in August-December. The number of test returning positive exceeds 31%, which is one of the highest in the region. Over 56% of the population is fully vaccinated, while 76% received at least one dose.
Cutting the interval for the booster shot, one of the strategies employed to curb the Omicron spike across the world, has already been introduced in South Korea, Philippines, Australia, and the United States.�
