On Monday, the health authority recommended that people aged 80 or older should receive a second booster shot of the covid-19 vaccine, the fourth sample in total, to counteract declining immunity in the midst of the rampant spread of the Omicron variant. The recommendation also included all persons who live in nursing homes or who receive support services at home. The second booster shot should be administered at least four months after the first booster shot, the authority said in a statement.

Sweden broke record levels of infections earlier this year when Omicron spread rapidly across the country. But the authorities are investing in booster shots and the milder symptoms of the variant to ease the pressure on healthcare and removed restrictions and reduced tests this month.

Infections remain pervasive and the health authority said that a growing number of cases among groups at greater risk of serious diseases, such as residents of nursing homes, have been registered in recent weeks. “A booster dose strengthens protection. Therefore, we believe that people who are 80 years or older will benefit from a second booster dose,” said chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.

As with the first round of booster shots, the jabs should consist of Pfizer / Biontech or Moderna vaccines, the agency said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)