Greece prepares 4th vaccine dose; could be given a month after the 3rd booster shot

Greece’s National Vaccination Committee scurries to decide on a fourth dose of vaccine against Covid-19 for a special category of people. The 4th dose could be administered even one month after the booster shot, the 3rd dose.

Greece response comes less than 12 hours after Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that a “4th vaccine dose might be needed due to the Omicron variant.”

The National Vaccination Committee has reportedly scheduled to meet next week and decide on the possibility of the 4th dose of the vaccine even as early as one month after the required 3rd booster shot.

The 4th dose is not thought for the general population, however, but for immune-compromised citizens who need greater protection.

Speaking to medical issues website iatropeedia.gr, President of the Vaccination Committee Maria Theodoridou, confirmed the news saying “it is on the table to discuss the issue in the Committee and it is among the issues that are being discussed internationally.”

Theodoridou stressed: “What I want to emphasize because people are confused, is that it is not for the general population. If there is a group that will take the fourth dose, to emphasise it, these are people who have a specific problem of immunocompromised, e.g. those who have received transplants.”

Regarding the time when the 4th dose will be administered to this category of the population, Theodoridou underlined that it may be one month after the 3rd dose.

“We will discuss in the Commission when the fourth dose should be administered. It can be earlier than 3 months after the 3rd dose. It could be as short as a month after,” Theodoridou said.