News Analysis India

Tag: booster dose

  • Over 9,500 precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines given on April 10

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A total of 9,674 precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the 18-59 years age-group on the first day on Sunday taking the cumulative doses given in the country to 185.74 crore, the Union Health Ministry said.

    India on Sunday began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres.

    All those above the age of 18 who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose are eligible for the precaution dose.

    So far more than 2.22 crore (2,22,67,519) children in the age-group of 12-14 years have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the ministry said on Monday.

    The Centre on Saturday told all states and UTs that the precaution dose will be of the same Covid vaccine which has been used for administration of first and second dose and that private vaccination centres can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge over and above the cost of the vaccine.

    States and UTs on Saturday were also informed that no fresh registrations would be required for precaution dose as all due beneficiaries are already registered on CoWIN.

    It was emphasized that all vaccinations must mandatorily be recorded of CoWIN platform and both the options of ‘Online appointment’ and ‘Walk-in’ registration and vaccination will be available at private Covid vaccination centres (CVCs).

    The Private CVCs will maintain the vaccination sites as per the guidelines issued earlier by the Ministry of Health.

    “They can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge for vaccination over and above the cost of vaccine,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said.

    “Administration of precaution dose will be homologous i.e. same vaccine type will be used for precaution dose which was used for vaccination of first and second dose,” he had stated.

    Healthcare workers, frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years and above, shall continue to receive precaution dose vaccination at any vaccination centres, including free of charge vaccination at Government Vaccination Centers, Bhushan had underlined.

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.

    Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.

    The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

    India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year.

    The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1 last year.

    The next phase of vaccination commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.

    India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.

    The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16.

  • ‘Precaution dose to be of same Covid vaccine, private centres can levy up to Rs 150 as service charge’: Centre 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday told the states that the precaution dose will be of the same COVID-19 vaccine as the one used for the administration of the first two doses and that private vaccination centres can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge over and above the cost of the vaccine.

    The Centre announced on Saturday that the precaution dose of Covid vaccines will be available to everyone aged above 18 years at the private vaccination centres from April 10.

    Based on inputs received from domain knowledge experts, govt has decided that precaution dose of Covid-19 will be available to 18+ population at prvt. Covid centres from Sunday @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard @mansukhmandviya @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/3scNegvn3x
    — Kavita Bajeli-Datt (@KavitaDatt) April 9, 2022
    All those above the age of 18, who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose, will be eligible for the precaution dose.

    Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, who held an orientation meeting of the health secretaries of all the states and Union territories on Saturday, also informed that no fresh registration would be required for the precaution dose as all due beneficiaries are already registered on the CoWIN platform.

    It was emphasised that all vaccinations must mandatorily be recorded on CoWIN and both the options of “online appointment” and “walk-in” registration and vaccination will be available at the private Covid vaccination centres (CVCs).

    The private CVCs will maintain the vaccination sites in accordance with the guidelines issued earlier by the Union health ministry.

    “They can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge for vaccination over and above the cost of the vaccine,” Bhushan said.

    “Administration of precaution dose will be homologous — same vaccine type will be used for precaution dose which was used for vaccination of first and second dose,” he stated.

    Healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and citizens aged 60 years and above shall continue to receive the precaution dose at the vaccination centres, including free vaccination at the government vaccination centres, Bhushan underlined.

    A detailed orientation of the state officials was done on various new provisions made on CoWIN for the expansion of the eligible population for the precaution dose and also for the correction of the vaccination certificates by citizens.

    The states were also advised to accelerate the administration of the ongoing free Covid vaccination with the first dose and the second dose to the population above 12 years of age and for optimal administration of the precaution dose for the HCWs, the FLWs and those aged 60 and above at the government CVCs.

    Additional Secretary (Health) Dr Manohar Agnani and other senior officers of the Union health ministry were present at the virtual meeting, along with the health secretaries, NHM mission directors and other officials from the states and Union territories.

  • Booster dose ‘unethical’ now, may be needed later: Adar Poonawalla

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: While some countries have started rolling out booster shots, and the jury in India is still out on this, Serum Institute of India’s CEO Adar Poonawalla termed it “unethical” to roll out a booster dose in the country when a big section of the population is yet to be administered both doses. Several people in other countries are yet to get their first dose.

    Adar Poonawalla’s comments come weeks after his father and SII Chairman Cyrus Poonawalla said a third dose of the vaccine is a “must” and should be taken six months after the second dose. Clarifying his father’s statement during a press conference to announce the strategic alliance of SSI with Biocon, Adar said, “I think what he meant was some vulnerable sections could do with booster shots.

    He said there is no evidence so far that a third dose is required, and it has not been recommended officially. Answering a question whether SSI is coming out with a booster shot, Adar said booster shots may be required annually down the line, but are not the need of the hour now.

    He said, “It will be unethical to think of a booster shot now. However, the decision will be taken by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), based on data collected.” He said that Serum Institute will ramp up production of Covishield to 200mn doses a month by October. He also hinted that export restrictions on Covishield may be eased soon. 

    “There were some export restrictions temporarily, and rightly so, to take care of our nation’s need first. We will slowly ease it in the next month or two. We are coming close to a point where there is more than enough vaccine stock,” he explained. He expects easing of exports in the next couple of months. 

  • Experts seek ICMR norms on booster dose necessity against COVID-19 in India

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The medical community is of the opinion that the government needs to issue guidelines to ascertain whether a booster Covid vaccine dose is necessary or not.

    Dr Ravindra Mehta, Senior Consultant and HoD, Pulmonology and Interventional Pulmonology at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, said that other countries have conducted studies and found that two vaccine doses are not enough to fight the Delta variant.

    “Hence, a booster dose may help,” he added. 

    He said booster doses can be given to people who are immunocompromised, or have waning vaccine immunity, or are unable to mount an immune response despite two doses, etc.

    “There needs to be a strategy in place. We do not have sufficient data on vaccine immunity waning, time-gap before the booster dose, etc. The discussion right now is presumptive,” he stated.

    Dr Pruthu Narendra Dhekane, Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Fortis Hospitals, said the focus right now should be on 100 per cent vaccine coverage. “We should first try to give both the doses to people, then we can think about a booster dose,” he said.

    “In the UK, booster doses will be administered for healthcare workers and the elderly in September. However, in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not come out with guidelines,” said Dr Aravinda G M, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospitals.

    “ICMR is likely to take a call after looking at data on reinfection, antibody titres, the prevalence found in the recent serosurvey and benefits of the first two doses. A booster dose will be needed if the existing two doses do not offer sufficient protection,” the doctor added, and said the medical fraternity is divided over the subject. 

  • Experts seek ICMR norms on booster dose against Covid

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The medical community is of the opinion that the government needs to issue guidelines to ascertain whether a booster Covid vaccine dose is necessary or not.

    Dr Ravindra Mehta, Senior Consultant and HoD, Pulmonology and Interventional Pulmonology at Apollo Speciality Hospitals, said that other countries have conducted studies and found that two vaccine doses are not enough to fight the Delta variant. “Hence, a booster dose may help,” he added. 

    He said booster doses can be given to people who are immunocompromised, or have waning vaccine immunity, or are unable to mount an immune response despite two doses, etc. “There needs to be a strategy in place. We do not have sufficient data on vaccine immunity waning, time-gap before the booster dose, etc. The discussion right now is presumptive,” he stated.

    Dr Pruthu Narendra Dhekane, Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Fortis Hospitals, said the focus right now should be on 100 per cent vaccine coverage. “We should first try to give both the doses to people, then we can think about a booster dose,” he said. “In the UK, booster doses will be administered for healthcare workers and the elderly in September. However, in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not come out with guidelines,” said Dr Aravinda G M, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospitals.

    “ICMR is likely to take a call after looking at data on reinfection, antibody titres, the prevalence found in the recent serosurvey and benefits of the first two doses. A booster dose will be needed if the existing two doses do not offer sufficient protection,” the doctor added, and said the medical fraternity is divided over the subject.