Spain to offer Covid booster shots to over 60s

Spain will provide Covid booster shots for those aged 60 and over as well as health staff, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday as infections numbers rise.

During an official visit to Turkey, Sanchez said the key to fighting the pandemic is to “continue this successful vaccination strategy in our country”.

The Spanish leader did not say when the third vaccine doses would start to be given.

Spain has one of the highest Covid-19 vaccination rates of Europe’s big nations.

Around 79 percent of Spain’s entire population is fully vaccinated, compared to just 68 percent in Britain and Germany and 75 percent in France.

While Spain’s 14-day average infection rate has climbed to 96 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it remains below that of neighbouring countries.

Spain joins a growing group of European nations that are offering booster shots to certain groups of at-risk people, including Italy and Greece.