Morocco recommends 4th dose of COVID vaccine for seniors

Morocco’s Health Ministry has recommended a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for senior citizens and for individuals suffering from chronic diseases to lower their risk of contracting the virus.

The new recommendation, which is part of a new update of the national vaccination strategy in the fight against the ongoing pandemic, comes as the country has witnessed in the past few weeks an increase in COVID daily numbers.

The Health Ministry, after reviewing a set of recommendations made by Morocco’s scientific community, has called on people aged over 60 and individuals with health conditions who are older that 18 to take the fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose six months after their third shot, the ministry said in a statement.

As to individuals who have recently contracted the virus, the scientific commission recommends that they should receive a second booster dose four weeks after testing negative for the virus.

In its statement, the ministry called on citizens to adopt the new recommendations so as to support the country in consolidating its past gains in the fight against the pandemic. It explained that the measure has been recommended in light of recent increases in COVID numbers across Morocco.

The Ministry called on citizens to continue to respect preventive measures such as the correct use of masks in closed public spaces and during gatherings, hand washing and physical distancing, especially on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha and the summer holidays to preserve a safe situation for all and avoid any epidemiological relapse.