"We believe that there is no urgency to take a decision on this point", says the Ministry of Health on the generalisation of the administration of the fourth dose. (Photo: SIP/Julien Warnand)

"We believe that there is no urgency to take a decision on this point", says the Ministry of Health on the generalisation of the administration of the fourth dose. (Photo: SIP/Julien Warnand)

Although immunocompromised people have been eligible to receive a fourth shot of an anti-coronavirus vaccine, Luxembourg is currently not in favour of providing that option to the entire population and it is likely that this will remain the case for now.

In Luxembourg, the fourth dose is, for the time being, reserved for people with severe immunodeficiency. "Luxembourg is not currently in favour of the generalised administration of a fourth dose of vaccine to the entire population," stated the health ministry in a response to Delano's sister publication Paperjam.

"However, this administration is possible for people with severe immunodeficiency, and has been for several weeks," the ministry said. "Registration is done via doctors."

The ministry's position could change in the coming months, depending on the evolution of the pandemic and the duration of the third dose's effectiveness. But this is not on the top of the authorities’ agenda. “We believe that there is no urgency to take a decision at this point,” stated the health ministry. Luxembourg's infectious diseases council (CSMI), the scientific body that makes recommendations to the government on this subject, has not been tasked with providing an expert opinion.

Focus on the third dose

Most European countries have taken the same position as Luxembourg regarding the administration of a fourth vaccine dose. While data on its implementation in other countries such as Israel does not yet clearly show if it has led to substantial improvement. At the moment it appears that a third shot provides sufficient protection over time, particularly against severe cases of covid-19.

France shares this position as well with its vaccine strategy council (COSV) issuing an expert opinion on 19 January stating that “there is no consistent evidence to suggest that the protection against the occurrence of severe forms granted by a booster shot decreases over time”.

For Luxembourg, the third shot remains a priority with the government . In the grand duchy, less than half of the population (49.6%) has received a booster shot according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

"While use of additional boosters can be part of contingency plans, repeated vaccinations within short intervals would not represent a sustainable long-term strategy," said EMA vaccine strategy chief Marco Cavaleri in a recent statement.

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.