On Monday before noon, Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) was vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fourth time. He had the second booster dose administered by the medical staff of the Ostrava University Hospital (FNO), where he also launched the autumn part of the campaign to promote vaccination against COVID-19.

Earlier, he had defended the autumn vaccination campaign launched by the Ministry of Health. He assured us that no one would be ordered to do anything, no vaccination would be made conditional, and no one would be punished for not getting vaccinated.

However, he believes that those who belong to risk groups will get the booster dose. “It is the best way to protect against serious illness or unnecessary death,” he pointed out.

There are no space chips in vaccines

The minister said that, of course, a group of people believe, for example, that there are chips in vaccines that come from beings from outer space.

“That is not true; it is nonsense. Vaccination is one of the achievements of medicine. Vaccination has saved hundreds of millions of human lives, and it will be the same with the vaccination against COVID. Those who are at risk and get vaccinated will reduce the risk of dying or having a serious course of the disease to virtually zero,” Health Minister Válek reiterated.

When asked whether it is possible to vaccinate against influenza and COVID at the same time, he replied that, technically, it is possible. “In general, however, many experts recommend an interval of a few weeks to a month between the flu and COVID vaccinations,” he outlined, adding that a single-dose combined vaccine for both COVID and flu could be available next year. The government has already budgeted CZK 1 billion for its possible purchase.

However, according to Lenka Petroušová, head of the Department of Infectious Medicine at FNO, combining COVID and flu vaccines on the same day is advisable. “It is recommended, generally accepted, so we do not have to worry about complications. So to vaccinate now, at the beginning of autumn, is ideal,” she said.

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