Marta Temido said that, in line with the recommendation of the Technical Vaccination Commission against Covid-19, the new dose would be administered even before the beginning of the autumn and winter period, anticipating a possible worsening of the epidemiological situation at that time.

“The Technical Commission for Vaccination against Covid-19 considered that a second booster dose would in fact be recommended and that second booster should happen with a higher risk seasonality”, explained the Minister of Health.

In April, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency had already recommended a fourth dose of the vaccine, only for people over 80 years of age.

Without referring to which specific group this vaccine booster would be administered in Portugal, Marta Temido said that the health authorities are “preparing for that moment”, admitting the possibility of anticipating it.

“Within this framework, naturally, the technical structures of the Ministry of Health, namely the Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute, continue to monitor the evolution of vaccine effectiveness in order to measure any declines that may recommend the anticipation of this second dose of vaccine”, she explained.