ROME, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Italy on Tuesday began the process of distributing a second COVID-19 booster shot to the most high-risk members of its population.

       Italy's medicines agency, AIFA, gave its approval to the distribution of second booster doses to those over the age of 80 and those over the age of 60 if they are deemed unusually vulnerable. In both cases, the shots will be distributed only if the previous vaccine dose was received at least 120 days earlier.

       The approval in Italy, which becomes applicable from Tuesday, came a week after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) formally recommended a fourth dose for those over the age of 80, though in its statement, EMA said it was too early to recommend a second booster for the general population.

       For most Italian residents, the second booster will represent their fourth vaccination. But for those who previously received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the second booster will be just their third vaccine dose.

       According to government data, more than 48.5 million people have been completely vaccinated, excluding booster shots, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the population over the age of 12.