Macau’s new COVID-19 booster vaccination recommendations will take effect today, according to which those who have already received their booster jabs but none of them is a BioNTech mRNA bivalent jab are now recommended to receive one.

The BioNTech mRNA bivalent vaccine provides antibody protection against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, in addition to antibody protection against the original COVID-19 strain.

The traditional monovalent (aka univalent) vaccine, either BioNTech or Sinopharm, only contains components for the original COVID-19 strain.

Both types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Macau, China’s Sinopharm inactivated vaccine and Germany’s BioNTech mRNA vaccine, are two-dose vaccines, i.e., requiring two jabs to develop basic full immunity.

The Macau Health Bureau (SSM) announced its new COVID-19 booster vaccination recommendations early last month, when it did not announce the implementation time.

The Health Bureau announced in a statement on Friday that the new recommendations will take effect today.

The details announced in Friday’s statement are about the same as those announced early last month.

Friday’s statement underlined that the Macau Health Bureau had decided to adjust its recommendations on the administration of COVID-19 booster jabs in compliance with different age groups and states of health, after referencing the latest recommendations made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and health agencies in various countries and regions worldwide.

The statement also noted that the new recommendations, which take effect today, aim to boost immunity against the Omicron variant in the population, particularly groups of people with a high risk of being affected by a COVID-19 infection.

Friday’s statement clarified that those with a high risk of being affected by a COVID-19 infection refer to those who are likely to suffer from a serious condition or other serious consequences after being infected with the novel coronavirus, including senior citizens, pregnant women, those with chronic diseases, as well as frontline health workers.

According to the statement, the Health Bureau now recommends that those aged between 18 and 59 without a high risk of being affected by a COVID-19 infection receive a total of three COVID-19 jabs, comprising the first two jabs that provide basic full immunity and a booster shot. The statement said that if those in this group have already received three or four COVID-19 jabs but none of them is a BioNTech mRNA bivalent jab, they are recommended to receive a BioNTech bivalent shot, six months after receiving their previous jab.

According to the statement, the Health Bureau now recommends that all those aged 60 or over, as well as those aged between 18 and 59 with a high risk of being affected by a COVID-19 infection, receive a total of four COVID-19 jabs, comprising the first two jabs that provide basic full immunity and two booster shots. The statement said that if those in the two groups have already received four COVID-19 jabs but none of them is a BioNTech mRNA bivalent jab, they are recommended to receive a BioNTech bivalent shot, six months after receiving their previous jab.

According to the statement, the Health Bureau now recommends those aged between 6 months and 17 years without a high risk of being affected by a COVID-19 infection to receive a total of three COVID-19 jabs. However, those in this group are not allowed to receive more than three COVID-19 jabs in total.

Details about the new COVID-19 booster vaccination recommendations are available in Chinese and Portuguese on the Health Bureau’s COVID-19 vaccination website. The Chinese version can be checked at: https://www.ssm.gov.mo/docs2/file/p/26635/ch, while the Portuguese version can be checked at: https://www.ssm.gov.mo/docs2/file/p/18772/pt

This undated handout photo taken from the Health Bureau’s (SSM) website yesterday shows the Ilha Verde Health Centre.