Brazilian authorities recommend fourth dose of COVID vaccine for the immunocompromised

Immunocompromised individuals are now eligible to receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil, four months after receiving the third dose, the Brazilian Ministry of Health announced on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry recommended "a booster dose for all immunocompromised individuals over the age of 18 who have already received three doses, starting four months after the last dose,” Infobae reported.

According to the ministry, this new measure is targeted towards individuals with severely compromised immune systems, such as those infected with HIV or cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Vaccination in Brazil has accelerated in recent months and more than two-thirds of the population is already fully vaccinated.

Conservative President Jair Bolsonaro – a vocal critic of the global vaccination effort who has refused to get vaccinated – has publicly criticized the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency’s recent push to increase vaccination rates in the country.

More than 617,000 Brazilians have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic first hit the country – a number exceeded only by the United States where more than 823,000 Americans have died.