Updated 12.45pm

The health authorities are carefully monitoring the situation of waning COVID-19 vaccinations and looking to 'boosting the booster' roll-out, the superintendent of public health, Charmaine Gauci, told the Ask Charmaine programme on Times of Malta on Wednesday.

An announcement is expected in the coming hours.

The booster is currently being administered to health workers and teachers. It has already been administered to elderly people and, according to the current timetable, will be offered to those in their sixties next month.

"People are understanding the role of the boosters and coming forward when they receive their invitation," Gauci said.

In the programme, Gauci also announced that the European Medicines Agency is expected to announce a decision on the administration of the vaccine to children aged over five on Thursday.

Once that happens, the administration of the vaccines for children will start ‘within weeks’ in Malta as soon as the vaccines arrive through the EU joint procurement programme.

The vaccine, she said, will be specially tailored for children, with only a third of the regular dose. 

The programme was presented by Diana Cacciottolo.

EU health agency calls for 'urgent' Covid measures                      

Meanwhile, the European Union health agency on Wednesday called on member states to "urgently" introduce anti-COVID-19 measures to reduce the potentially "very high" burden the disease will have in December and January.

The director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Andrea Ammon, recommended Covid booster shots for all adults over the age of 18, "with a priority for people above 40 years old". 

The agency also urged countries to increase their overall vaccination rates, especially those with low uptake.

Malta is among the countries with the highest vaccination rates.