Final Word from Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Yesterday's decision to offer booster shots to everyone eight months after being fully vaccinated - instead of merely to at-risk individuals - came as a surprise and means that the Czech government sees little resistance to its aggressive vaccination campaign. Most significant is the decision only to allow revaccination with the two mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. Vector vaccines are being sent into early retirement. Unless the World Health Organization intervenes, this means that by about next summer, people without mRNA shots will be excluded from some activities. In his usual style, Health Min. Adam Vojtěch lied by omission about this yesterday by using such phrases as "for now" and "at this moment" to insist that a third shot will not be needed for travel or using services. He is moving forward quickly and is facing little resistance, but his latest move is risky. Even ardent supporters of covid vaccines might wonder why he is in such a rush to get mRNA shots into every arm. [ Czech Republic covid-19 coronavirus WHO ]