Jan 04, 2022

All Adults Are Now Eligible for Third Vaccine Dose

Prague Morning

As of today, January 4, adults of all ages are eligible for a booster if at least five months have passed since their second coronavirus vaccine dose.

Until now, a third dose was only available for this group six months after receiving a second vaccine dose.

Security forces against compulsory vaccinations

Over 3,200 members of the country’s security forces – police officers, firefighters, rescue workers and soldiers – have signed a petition against compulsory vaccination of people in high-risk professions.

Representatives of Initiative 21, which is a group protesting against compulsory vaccination as such, said on Monday that altogether around 14,000 people have signed petitions against mandatory vaccines for any group of the population.

Austria, Estonia, Czech Republic: A national vaccine pass

Austria has applied strict sanitary measures since a surge forced the country into lockdown measures in late November.

Since December 12, when the lifting of the lockdown started, the 2G rule has been applied nationwide. Only people who are vaccinated or have recovered within the last six months can visit restaurants, hotels, shops and access community centres and sports halls. The FFP2 masks, which offer superior protection, are also mandatory in such places.

Several European countries, including Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Malta, have also opted for a national vaccine pass. It should be noted that this is required from the age of 12 in some countries (Malta and Estonia), 15 (Austria) or sometimes only after the age of 18 (Germany).

Compulsory testing

The compulsory twice-weekly testing of employees in firms and institutions will be covered by health insurance. The testing is to begin in mid-January to give companies time to organize the testing.