Havana, May 18 (RHC)--The Ministry of Public announced Tuesday it has decided to administer a  second anti-COVID-19 vaccination booster to people aged 50 years and over.

Dr. Ileana Morales Suarez, director of Science and Technological Innovation of the Ministry, announced the measure at the weekly meeting of experts engaged in science and technological innovation activities to confront COVID-19.

With this new age scheme, there will be more than four million people to whom the booster dose will be administered.

Suarez said that high-risk groups would also get the second jab.

Commenting on the decision, President Miguel  Díaz-Canel said if the world does not solve the epidemic situation, "we will continue to be exposed" and "thus, we cannot lose the systematicity of the reinforcement. Otherwise,we can return to a complex situation".

Cuba remains among the countries leading the number of vaccines administered per 100 people.

Turning to the impact of the Abdala vaccine on Cuba's pediatric population, Dr. Morales Suares said that it has been very successful.

Its prevention of asymptomatic disease in patients between 16 and 18 years of age has been 98.9%. The effectiveness is "extremely high," she said.

According to the forecasts mentioned in the meeting,  the epidemic is expected to remain under control on the island in the coming weeks.