Health authorities in Spain are increasing efforts to administer Covid vaccines before Christmas and New Year festivities that typically see large groups gathering together.

As vaccines for 3.3 million children aged between 5 and 11 were rolled-out across the country on Wednesday and elsewhere in the European Union, Spanish regional authorities approved broadening the range of eligible people for a Covid booster jab.

Over the past two months, third doses of the vaccine have been offered to health workers, high-risk groups and the over-60s. However, Health Minister Carolina Darias announced late on Wednesday that the booster jab will start to be offered to people aged 50 and over.

During a visit to a school in central Spain, Darias added that the vaccination roll-out needs to speed up ahead of the rise in “mobility and social interaction” around the festive season.

“Today is a day charged with emotion,” the minister told reporters. “I’m satisfied and encouraged to see so many parents with their children here.”

The vaccine has been widely accepted across the country, with close to 90% of people aged 12 and over now fully vaccinated. Yet, children under the age of 11 – making up around 7% of the population – are now thought to be one of the age groups spreading the most infections. Indeed, the contagion rate among this age range, 667 new cases per 100,000 children in a fortnight, is almost 50% higher than the national average of 441 new cases, reports AP News.

The second-highest infection rate was reported in the parents of children under 11, most of them aged between 40 and 49, with 550 new cases per 100,000 people in two weeks.

Spain reported 27,140 new daily Covid infections on Wednesday, the highest figure since the end of July, along with another 77 fatalities. However, hospital admissions are increasing at a slower rate than seen in past virus spikes.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 88,619 deaths have been recorded in Spain.