The third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer deemed a booster dose. It is now part of the basic protection scheme against the new coronavirus.
Since November 26, 2021, this dose has been administered in Peru.
"Many people have believed that only two doses were important, but this is not the case. With (merely) two doses our antibodies can become reduced (as time goes by); we need to administer an additional dose, the third one, to raise immunity and be protected against a new variant that could enter the country," said
Minsa's Immunizations Director Maria Elena Martinez.
The official reminded citizens that the Government had issued a rule which makes having received a third dose mandatory for anyone over 18 years of age in order to enter closed spaces —whether public or private.
"We have found that there has been a lot of relaxation on the part of citizens, overconfidence. We are using all strategies to reach out to the population. We are at a different time compared to (those of) the first and second doses, which featured a short period of 21 days," the specialist detailed.
"Today we are in a third dose phase, where vaccination comes after three months and a fourth dose, which will be administered after five months," she added.
The Health Ministry's Immunization Directorate reiterated that those who meet the requirement of having received their second dose three months ago can visit any vaccination center to get the third dose.