Spain to give a fourth booster shot in the fall

On Thursday, Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias confirmed that the govt will approve a 4th COVID-19 dose in the fall, with priority given to the most vulnerable groups.

"The entire population will receive the fourth dose." This decision was made by the Public Health Commission. "A possible date would be in the autumn," Darias told private television station La Sexta. "We are awaiting the arrival of  a new vaccine adapted to variants, as stated in contracts signed with pharmaceutical companies through the EU."

According to EURACTIV's partner EFE, the new vaccination campaign will begin with the elderly and persons in nursing homes before moving on to lower age groups.

Since the pandemic began in March'20, Spain recorded approximately 107,000 COVID-related mortalities, according to the official figures.

In February '22, Amnesty International condemned the Spanish Public Prosecutor's Office for its "poor performance" in investigating the deaths of over 35,000 elderly in nursing homes at the peak of the COVID spread in March-April 2020.

According to the NGO's Spanish branch, the majority of "COVID-19 files" have been shut down without the testimony of victims' relatives or any vital information that could provide information for future investigations, leaving plenty of room for "impunity."