South Africa has changed its Covid-19 vaccination rules in an effort to encourage more people to get jabs, health authorities have said.

The government is shortening the interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine from 42 to 21 days and will allow people who have received two doses of Pfizer to get a booster dose three months after their second shot as opposed to six months previously, reports Reuters.

It will also offer the option of mixing and matching booster jabs, with adults who were given one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) vaccine being offered either a J&J or Pfizer booster two months after their J&J shot. Adults who received two doses of Pfizer will be allowed J&J as well as Pfizer as a third dose.

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