"It is expected that the administration of a booster dose to people aged 40 years and over, prioritizing the elderly, people with comorbidities and health professionals (…) will reduce the predictable pressure on health services associated with the anticipated propagation of the Omicron variant of concern”, states the opinion of the Technical Commission on Vaccination against Covid-19 (CTVC) on the expansion of the booster of the vaccine.

Data indicate that on December 15, 2021, those over 40 years old represented 94.5% of patients admitted to the ward and 93.4% of those admitted to intensive care.

"At this stage, it is urgent to keep maximising the vaccination of people defined in the vaccine booster strategy and to extend vaccination with booster doses to those who can benefit most from it", reads the document published on the DGS website.

For the CTVC, the epidemic growth scenario anticipated with the emergence of Omicron justifies the adaptation of the booster dose, “with priority for the most vulnerable people, also in line with the recommendations of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) ”.