The National Vaccination Commission agreed to approve the third dose of the covid-19 vaccine, known as a booster shot, for children between 5 and 11 years old.

The only authorized pediatric dosage brand is Pfizer. The third dose must be applied five months after receiving the second dose, the authorities said.

In Costa Rica, the vaccine against covid-19 is part of the country's immunization schedule for children, along with vaccines against other viruses such as Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Streptococcus, Pneumoniae, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Rotavirus, Haemophilus, Measles, Rubella, Mumps and Varicella. The shots don't stop there, as all girls over the age of 10 must get the papillomavirus vaccine.

In addition, the Commission authorized that all essential workers who are under 50 years old, can receive the fourth dose, known as the second booster.

Currently, the second booster is applied to people over 50 years of age, although the commission determined that age is not a factor that limits getting that extra dose. The only requirement is to have four months after had received the third dose.

Front-line workers who must receive the fourth dose voluntarily are those who belong to public organizations such as Social Security, the Ministry of Health, the National Emergency Commission, the Fire Department, the Red Cross and the police.

After some confusion, last week the Commission clarified that the vaccination campaign continues to be mandatory for public employees.

The country's vaccination campaign applied over 11 million doses, according to Social Security records.

Last week, the Ministry of Health reported 8,495 deaths listed as covid-19 related, approximately a 1% death rate. The pandemic has killed more than 6.3 million people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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