COVID19: 45-year-olds booking AZ, Janssen jabs

Cyprus’ vaccination program was boosted on Friday, as people aged 45 and 46 appeared more willing to book a slot for the unpopular AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines.

Within 90 minutes from the online vaccination portal opening at 7.30 am on Friday, beneficiaries had snapped up 10,150 of the 13,900 available vaccination appointments.

Out of the 10,150 appointments taken, 5,413 were for a Pfizer jab, 1,214 for AZ, and 1,735 for Janssen.

The Health Ministry included the Janssen vaccine for the first time following re-evaluation by the European Medicines Agency.

Both Janssen and the AZ vaccine have been probed following links to very rare blood clots.

Cyprus added all 2,400 available Janssen vaccines received two weeks ago but put on ice pending the EMA’s approval.

The portal for 45- and 46-year-olds will remain open until 8 pm on Friday.

In a bid to speed up its vaccination coverage to 65% of the population with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, GPs can give people over 30 the AstraZeneca jab.

On Thursday, the Health Ministry announced that GPs had been asked to contribute in a race against time.

The Health Ministry said it would provide GPs, who express an interest, with quantities of the AZ vaccine.