Second jab of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca to be pushed back
Agnes Galgoczi told public news channel M1 that the second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would be pushed back to the 35th day after the first jab, instead of the 21st day as it was administered so far. The second AstraZeneca shot will be administered at the latest date specified in the instructions, 12 weeks after the first jab, she said.
Giving at least one shot of the vaccine to as many people as possible is expected to curb the spread of the pandemic, Galgoczi said, adding that the authorities hoped to reach a vaccination level providing “real protection to the community” by late spring or early summer.
So far, over 670,000 people have been vaccinated in Hungary, and trust in the vaccine is growing, she said.
Two new variants of the coronavirus have already been detected in Hungary. As the variant first discovered in the UK is spreading in the community already, with 400 infections registered, the number of infections is expected to grow further in the coming days, she said.
A variant first detected in Brazil has not yet been discovered in Hungary, Galgoczi said, adding that curbing travel may prevent that further variants are dragged into the country. She called for discipline and for people to accept the vaccine when offered, to prevent a the third wave of the pandemic from escalating.
I am waiting for the Hungarian government to announce what protocols they have established for legal foreigners in the country who do not have the TAJ number given to those who have bought into the national health care system. Older foreign residents should not have to wait until every registered citizen has received the jab if they meet the age requirement to receive the vaccine. The government has not said anything about jabs for the thousands of legal foreigners in the country. Are we invisible?