Bhutan has started offering COVID-19 booster doses to senior citizens and priority groups in an attempt to avert the Omicron variant of coronavirus, stated the health ministry officials.

People aged 65 years and above, health workers, international travellers, people with chronic diseases and all adults living in high risk areas are eligible to get the booster shot.

Public service broadcaster BBS said that Bhutan has become the first country in the South Asian region to administer booster shots. Officials plan to vaccinate over 2,28,000 people in a week. An official stated that like the second dose, mix and match has been recommended for the boosters as well.

The country has not reported any Omicron case as of December 25. The country with a population of around 7,50,000 people says that over 93% of the people aged above 12 years have been inoculated with a second dose… (ET Healthworld – Reuters, December 25, 2021)