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New Delhi: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said on Thursday that Indian studies have shown that the antibodies generated by the Kovid vaccine persist for a year and hence it is not appropriate to talk about a booster dose right now.
Bhargava’s comments come as studies seek to establish the duration of efficacy of current COVID vaccines, and whether people will need to take boosters for continued protection against the novel coronavirus. US President Joe Biden Received A booster shot on Monday comes after the country’s federal regulators recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for some high-risk population groups.
“Currently, booster doses are not relevant. The need of the hour is to give two-dose vaccination, which we call complete immunization covering the entire adult population. That should be the goal and that is the agenda and it should be continued. Will happen,” Dr Bhargava said while answering a question during the Covid briefing.
“We have done some studies in India, including Bangalore, where some hospitals looked at antibodies and found that 95 per cent of antibodies persist for more than a year. So the booster thing is not relevant.”
India started COVID vaccination from January 16, which means that even for those who have been fully vaccinated as soon as possible, a little over seven-and-a-half months have passed.
When India introduced vaccination, both the vaccines initially included in the immunization program – Covishield and Covaxin – were being administered at 28-day intervals. Thus the first Indian to be vaccinated got a second shot sometime in mid-February.
According to government estimates, health workers were the first to receive the vaccine, but so far only 85 percent of hospital staff have been fully vaccinated. About 99 percent have received a shot of the vaccine. Among other frontline workers, including police personnel, sanitation workers etc., 100 per cent have received a shot and 82 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
Overall, 69 percent of adult Indians have received a shot and 25 percent have been fully vaccinated. However, concerns are emerging about people not getting their second shot on time.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “There are some states where coverage of second dose is less and we have taken it up with them.”
“We have provided a facility on CoWin where a line list of people who have missed the second dose can be generated. The states have got those and are trying to ensure that these people are given a second dose. “
Read also: 72% of Indians believe Covid vaccines are effective, 60% of Indians trust shots, finds new survey
Most of the districts of concern in the Northeast
While Kerala accounts for over 50 per cent of the active cases in the country, the absolute numbers in the state are declining, as are the national numbers.
Most of the 18 “districts of concern”, where test positivity is between 5 per cent and 10 per cent, are in the north-east. These are Chandel Kakching and Ukhrul in Manipur, Khwajawal and Kolasib in Mizoram, Upper Siang and Lower Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, East Khasi Hills and South-West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, North and East districts of Sikkim, Dimapur, Tuensang and Nagaland in Nagaland. Golaghat in Assam.
Both the secretaries warned that the upcoming festive season is a time to “celebrate cautiously” and all non-essential travel should be avoided.
Zycov-D will cost differently
Bhushan remained non-committal about a possible date when Zydus Cadila’s Zycov-D – the world’s first DNA vaccine, and approved by the government for emergency use – would be launched into the national program.
However, he clarified that the price of the vaccine will be different from that of Covishield and Covaxin.
“Since Zycov-D is a needleless and three-dose vaccine, its cost will be different from the vaccines currently being used,” Bhushan said.
The Government of India currently buys Serum Institute of India’s Covishield at Rs 205 per dose and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin at Rs 215 per dose. The vaccines are administered using special syringes that are 0.5 ml in size and usually cost around Rs 2.
Meanwhile, a special applicant to be used For the Zycov-D which costs Rs 30,000 and can be used for 20,000 shots. This means that the applicator gun will have to be changed after every 10,000 people are vaccinated because each dose of the vaccine consists of two shots.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
Read also: In virus versus immune system race, Covid booster is privilege scientists say Delta will curb
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