Kazakhstan Is Going to Start a Revaccination Campaign

According to Alexey Tsoy, minister of health in Kazakhstan, the country is going to start a revaccination campaign on November 22.

The revaccination is going to be carried out in two stages. At the first stage, which will last until Q2 next year, the government plans to reach about one million people, including the following groups: 

•        Vulnerable social groups (health workers, teachers, local municipal government workers, child-care facilities personnel and law enforcement officers);
•        People aged 60 and older;
•        Those who have tested negative for COVID-19 antibodies. 

«Given that the vaccination of people from vulnerable social groups was our top priority last year, they now have to be revaccinated first as well. However, any person above the age of 60 or those who tested negative for COVID antibodies will also be allowed to get revaccinated,» Tsoy said.

The second stage of revaccination is going to start in January 2022. At this stage, everyone who has been vaccinated and now wants to get a booster can be revaccinated after 6-9 months after the initial two shots. The government expects that at this stage about 6.2 million people might be reached with the campaign.

«I request regional authorities to organize the revaccination campaign of vulnerable groups starting from November 22 this year. Other social groups should be reached with the campaign next year,» the minister noted.

In pursuit of its revaccination goals, the health officials in Kazakhstan rely on an adopted approach designed by the Ministry of Health and advisory commission on immunization of the population against COVID-19.

People are recommended to get an additional dose of the vaccine after six or nine months after the initial vaccinations. Those who are going to be revaccinated should follow the following rule:

•        If a person has been vaccinated with a vector vaccine (Sputnik V) he should get revaccinated with an inactivated vaccine (Sinopharm, CoronaVac, Hayat-Vax, QazCovid-in) or mRNA vaccine (Pfizer) nine months after the initial injection;
•        If a person has been vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine (Sinopharm, CoronaVac, Hayat-Vax or QazCovid-in) he must be revaccinated with vector vaccine (Sputnik V) or mRNA vaccine (Pfizer) six months after the vaccine;
•        If a person has been vaccinated with mRNA vaccine (Pfizer) he should get revaccinated with inactivated vaccine (Sinopharm, CoronaVac, Hayat-Vax or QazCovid-in) or vector vaccine (Sputnik V) six months after the initial two shots;
• Those who were infected with COVID-19 must get their shots six months after recovering.