A statement was issued by the media office of the Ministry of Public Health as follows: "Since the COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet, and there are many new variants causing an increase in COVID-19 infections in many countries, especially in Europe. Given that the vaccination rate with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Lebanon does not exceed 45%, and adherence to preventive measures such as wearing masks and social distancing has nearly disappeared in the Lebanese community, and based on reports from the World Health Organization warning of new waves of the COVID-19 virus expected to be more contagious, the following recommendations were issued by the National Committee for Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health:
- Adhere to preventive measures regarding social distancing, hand washing, and wearing masks, especially in public institutions, gatherings, restaurants, and closed spaces.
- Citizens are urged to quickly get vaccinated if they have not received any doses yet. Scientific evidence has shown that regular COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduces mortality from the disease and limits complications, especially those requiring hospitalization or intensive care.
- Anyone who has received two doses of the vaccine should get the third dose, with confirmation that the third dose will not increase the likelihood of experiencing side effects from the vaccine.
- Based on scientific recommendations, anyone who received their third dose more than six months ago can obtain a fourth dose of the vaccine without a prior appointment through the "walk-in" service.
- The ministry encourages vaccinating children aged 5 to 12 years once the vaccine specific for this age group becomes available."
