5th vaccine dose is expected as COVID infection rates still high: Health Official – Egypt Today

CAIRO - 28 July 2022: Hossam Hosni, head of the Supreme Committee for Combating Corona at the Ministry of Health and Population, revealed that the rates of COVID infection among children under 12 years old do not exceed 1 percent, indicating that children from 12 to 15 years old are currently vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine.

Dr. Hossam Hosni said in press statements, that the benefit of the vaccine is that it prevents complications during infection, and also reduce the symptoms to be mild and moderate, which is easy to treat and recover from quickly.

"Citizens will receive booster doses every 6 months for people under 60 years old who do not suffer from chronic diseases, and 3 months for those over 60 who suffer from chronic diseases," adding that if the epidemic turns into a seasonal flu, the vaccine will be taken annually.

He added, it is expected that there will be a 5th dose of the Corona vaccine if the infections continue to increase, which means that the epidemic has not become a seasonal epidemic.

Dr. Hosni further explained that the drugs for the therapeutic protocol for Corona and its variants are available at all hospitals and are dispensed free of charge, and continued: "The therapeutic protocol will be updated in its seventh version within hours, and new drugs will be added."

He continued: There is a new mutant from "Omicron" that has led to an increase in the number of infections during the past period, and this mutant is called "B4-B5".

"The new Omicron mutant "B4-B5" is characterized by an increase in proliferation and reproduction, but on the other hand, it attacks the upper respiratory tract, and attacks the lungs only at a very slow rate," he added.

Regarding the most prominent symptoms of the new mutant, he said the symptoms are a rise in body temperature for a period of 24 to 48 hours, up to above 37.6 degrees Celsius, with sore throat, and this is enough to diagnose the case as suspected of being infected with the new mutant.

He continued: We do not wait for the rest of the symptoms to appear, such as body pain, excessive sleep, persistent cough and runny nose, but the necessary precautions must be taken immediately, home isolation, and health follow-up with a specialized doctor.

The Ministry of Health and Population continues to raise its preparations in all governorates of the country, follow up on the situation first-hand regarding the emerging corona virus, and take all necessary preventive measures against any viruses or infectious diseases.

The ministry has also allocated a number of means of communication to receive citizens inquiries about the emerging corona virus and infectious diseases, including: the hotline 105, 15335 and the WhatsApp number 01553105105, in addition to the Health Egypt application available on phones.

See the original post here:

5th vaccine dose is expected as COVID infection rates still high: Health Official - Egypt Today