The Minister of Health, Dr Daniel Ngamije, has allayed fears for those receiving Covid-19 vaccine booster doses using a type of vaccine that is different from ones they had been inoculated with in the first and second round.

Appearing on the national broadcaster, the minister said that extensive research had proven that on the contrary, getting a different dose may strengthen one’s immune system.

"Research has found that when you get booster jab with type of vaccine that is different from what you got before, the body gains more resistance and protection against Covid-19.Therefore all people should embrace the booster jab as it is done elsewhere so as to cope with the new variant,” he explained.

He said that the country is currently mostly using the Moderna vaccine as a booster jab insisting that it is very effective.

"This means that even in the event that you may be infected with Covid-19, the situation can’t worsen because of the booster jab we are using,” Ngamije assured.

The booster jab is considered as the third dose for those who received a two dose type of vaccine or a second dose for those who received a single-dose type of vaccine.

"The Omicron variant cases have already been recorded in the country. Even when there might be few cases, this variant spreads quickly. Therefore the booster jab is timely,” he noted.

Over 50,000 people have so far been given their booster jabs countrywide as of December 19.

He assured that 70 percent of the total population will have been fully vaccinated by the end of next year from the current 36 percent.

"Before the end of this year, at least 40 percent will have been vaccinated with all doses,” he said.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health announced on December 19, a total of 4.8 million people have so far been fully vaccinated, while 7,215,404 have received at least one dose.

Warning against complacency

Meanwhile, Ngamije urged against complacency, warning that not complying with the new Covid-19 prevention guidelines could trigger an increase in the cases especially during festive season.

"It is clear that people are not complying with Covid-19 prevention measures especially in Kigali as we have recommended. We also noted this trend between Friday and Sunday after fresh measures.

No social distancing, no face masks and we found some people at weddings yet they knew they had Covid-19 virus. Some attended gatherings yet they had not tested for Covid-19 to ensure they are negative,” he said.

He said that although in the previous three weeks the ministry was recording five people out of 100,000 people infected with Covid-19, it worsened in the recent ten days where the number has increased to 46 out of 100,000 people with Covid-19.

At least 948 Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the last seven days.