The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says Ghanaians can receive booster shots three to six months after being fully vaccinated.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Director-General of the Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye advised against receiving a booster immediately after receiving a second jab.

“The booster is three to six months after your last vaccination. It means that if you had your last dose in March, you will be eligible for a booster dose between three to six months and not immediately,” he said.

In an earlier interaction with the media, Dr Kuma-Aboagye noted that the purpose of a Covid-19 booster shot is to give people an added level of protection from Covid-19 after the efficacy of the earlier vaccine wanes over time. 

He said booster shots will stem the spread of the disease in the country.

The first batch of persons to receive the booster includes “health workers, persons with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension; persons 60 years and above.”

Others are frontline security personnel and the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature members.

Meanwhile, Immunologist and Research Fellow at the West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Dr Yaw Bediako has revealed that constant immunisation against the Covid-19 pandemic will take no toll on an individual’s immune system as being reported by some international outlets.

Interacting with Benjamin Akakpo on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, he said: “I don’t really buy into this idea that constant boosting has any real effect on your immune system. Our immune system is always responding to challenges.

“That is what it does. When you walk outside, when a mosquito bites you, you get a cold – those are all immune challenges. If our immune system got tired due to this exposure, we would all have serious issues.

From my immunological perspective, I really don’t give much weight to these concerns or stories about exhausting your immune system as a result of constant immunization.”

The European Medicines Agency on the issue of booster shots has said, more Covid-19 vaccine booster shots might not be the proper way forward for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Bloomberg, European Union regulators said too many Covid-19 vaccine booster shots could affect our immune system, exposing us to even more sickness.