Brunei to begin administering COVID-19 booster shots

Brunei will begin administering COVID-19 booster shots to children ages 12-17 today.

Around 40,000 children are believed to be eligible for boosters. Since vaccinations for this age group began in November 2021, 99% of children have received two shots. During Ramadan, vaccination centers will open 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM Monday–Thursday and Saturday.

The tiny nation is currently recovering from a massive spike in cases, but has suffered very few deaths due to strict lockdowns and high vaccination rates. Successfully combatting COVID-19 has positioned Brunei well to grow its economy out of the pandemic. To do so, the sultanate is looking towards economic diversification. 60% of the Bruneian economy is centered on oil, and high oil prices have aided economic recovery. However, important economic diversification projects into e-commerce and tech development were delayed by the pandemic.

Boosters and high vaccination rates mean the country’s medium-term public health and economic outlooks are strong. However, long-term economic security depends on further diversification. Going forward, Brunei is expected to prioritize tourism, info-communications and tech. This will likely allocate government investment towards spending in new digital infrastructure, domestic businesses and manufacturing to increase exports and attract foreign trade and investments.

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