KRG approves COVID-19 booster shots for adults amid Omicron surge
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Saturday recommended adult residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to receive their third shot as infections soar due to the ultra-contagious Omicron variant.
The announcement came from Scientific Committee to Combat the Coronavirus, Dr. Dashti al-Bustani, who noted KRG and federal Iraqi health authorities had coordinated on the decision.
Bustani told Kurdistan 24 that fully vaccinated adults--individuals over 18--can use the KRG's vaccine registration webpage to sign up for a booster dose, provided it has been six months since their last vaccine shot.
Explaining that a person's immunity declines after five months of obtaining a second jab, Bustani affirmed that "a booster dose is necessary to protect the lives of citizens, our families, and loved ones by limiting infection."
The KRG official added that Omicron is now the cause of most infections in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, noting further that there is no end in sight for this current wave and that "a new variant may appear, which may lead to a worse or less severe wave."
Bustani also reiterated repeated calls by public health officials to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, citing global data that shows the jabs limit infections and severely reduce fatalities. Ongoing research on Omicron indicates it is likely less deadly but is much more contagious than previous variants.
He explained that symptoms due to an Omicron infection--including sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy throat, and fatigue--do not persist as long as those with other coronavirus strains. They "can last three or four days."
Infected individuals, Bustani said, should self-quarantine for at least a week, long enough for the body to get rid of Omicron.
On Saturday, the total number of infections in the Kurdistan Region reached 404,949, including 7,211 deaths. Cases have soared in recent weeks after health authorities detected the Omicron variant.