India may reconsider the nine-month gap between the second Covid-19 shot and the booster dose for those traveling abroad, especially for countries that have been given the third shot for arriving travelers, familiar with the matter people said, Hindustan Times report good.
Additionally, it can be reduced to six months, he said. This is one of the many views discussed by the government’s expert panel, which is looking into a number of issues related to booster doseThat includes reducing the gap to about six months for all eligible people.
Many countries have recently made representations to the central government to bridge the gap as many countries have started demanding COVID-19 Booster dose, creating a barrier for those wishing to travel abroad for employment, education, business or pleasure. Some experts have also said that reducing the gap to the current nine months will speed up the booster drive as it is currently lagging.
The development comes at a time when at least 105.8 million people were eligible for a booster dose (who had received both shots of the vaccine by August 1, 2021) as of May 1, but only 28.3 million have taken one. health ministry statistics
Meanwhile, the government’s expert advisory panel, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), is looking at the available evidence to make recommendations in this regard. “NTAGI is looking at the data to see if it is a good idea to narrow the gap to the current nine months. They may give priority to those who need an urgent booster for travel purposes as many countries have made it a requirement for travel. However, the final decision will be based on the opinion of experts from the technical panel,” said a senior government official familiar with the matter on condition of anonymity.
This step also comes as vaccines are being wasted due to shortage of people (for example, each vial of Covishield vaccinates 10 people. Several studies have established the fact that the antibody levels in vaccinated individuals Decreases over time, making a case for) the introduction of booster doses to enhance protection. India started booster shots from January 10 this year among healthcare and frontline workers and those in the 60+ age group with comorbidities. Eligibility was expanded to all adults from April 10.
NTAGI members met on Wednesday to discuss bridging the gap for booster shots and expanding the vaccine campaign to children under 11. However, it is important to note that no final decision was taken on both the matters, according to people familiar with the development.