COVID19: Jab walk-ins for university students

Walk-in vaccination centres will cater exclusively to university students who want a COVID-19 booster shot next Monday and Tuesday, said the Health Ministry.

The walk-in centres will operate solely for students who want to take advantage of the holiday break to get a booster for the two days following Christmas.

The ministry said that students of tertiary education would be eligible to receive a booster jab at least five months from completing their vaccination scheme.

This is to accommodate students studying abroad who may not have completed the five and a half months since their last vaccination, set for everyone else.

The Health Ministry said vaccinations would be carried out using Moderna mRNA vaccines.

Students will need to carry their student and national ID card, vaccination certificate.

Walk-in centres operate in all districts, and vaccinations are free of charge and do not require prior booking.

According to the ministry’s latest statistics, 78.6% of the island’s population over the age of 12 has been fully vaccinated, which corresponds to 68.4% of the overall population.

The overall population rate is further boosted by vaccinations among children aged five to eleven, which got underway last week.

About 44% of children aged 12 to 15 are fully vaccinated, while 51.6% have received one jab.

The vaccination rate for the 16- to 17-year-olds is lower, as just 40.1% have received one jab, while only 30.8% are fully vaccinated.