“From Friday 22 July, the Ministry of Health (MZ) is allowing the fourth dose of vaccination against Covid-19 for people aged 60 to 79 and an additional vaccination for immunocompromised people aged 12 and older”, says the ministry’s head Adam Niedzielski. He added that the peak of the summer wave of infections is forecast for mid-August.

“The characteristics of this 6th wave are slightly different from previous waves. We have fewer hospitalisations and fewer people under ventilators. Looking at the experience of European countries, we are placing a clear emphasis, in the policy to fight this wave, on the protection of people in their 60s and above, because this is where we have the greatest risks associated with the most severe course of the disease. And, of course, people who have impaired immunity”, said the minister.

At the moment, the number of hospitalisations is around 1,100 people. The Ministry of Health predicts that at the peak of the wave, in the most likely scenario, the number of hospitalisations will reach around 3 000. According to the MZ, the structure of hospitalisations, compared to previous waves, is different. Approximately 20 people are currently under ventilators, which is disproportionate to the number of people in hospitals.

“In previous waves, we observed the phenomenon that roughly 10 per cent of hospitalisations were people under ventilators. At the moment, that figure is 1 or 2 per cent. So, this level of severity is much lower,” assessed Niedzielski.

As of Friday 22 July, the Ministry of Health is allowing fourth-dose vaccination for people between 60 and 79 years of age, and for immunocompromised people over 12 years of age. From 22 July, e-referrals for vaccination will be available. Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska appealed to seniors and people with immunity problems, people with multimorbidity to receive a booster dose.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński