New Delhi: Even as several developed countries, including the US, have started administering a booster dose of vaccine against COVID-19, India is yet to decide on prescribing a third shot after the mandated two. Indian authorities are holding discussions in this regard.
Serum Institute of India Chairman Cyrus Poonawalla has said that he has already taken the booster dose and that this is essential. The Serum Institute, the manufacturer of the Covishield vaccine, has administered the booster dose to 8,000 of its employees.
But India's vaccine policy does not include the booster dose. And India has taken the stance that it is not needed for the time being.
(In medical terms, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (primer) dose.)
As there is no data to prove that the booster dose is essential, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is of the view that it is not needed for now. Even as a good majority of the people in low-income countries are yet to get the first dose, the rich countries are administering the third dose.
The main problem is the re-emergence of the Covid pandemic, even after a large part of the population has been vaccinated. Most of the vaccines were developed against the Coronavirus that was first detected at Wuhan in China. However, the crisis was triggered as the virus later underwent genetic mutations.
As per the study conducted by Israel, the efficacy of the Covid vaccine will be 90 per cent in the first month but drops to 40 per cent after seven months. But the immune response would reportedly increase with the booster dose.
Second dose for frontline warriors at slow pace
Thiruvananthapuram: The second dose vaccination of frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, and cops, is moving at a slow pace in Kerala.
Though the vaccine is available for the frontline workers, it is not clear as to why the vaccination is not being carried out. Although the second dose of vaccination for health workers began in March, only 83 per cent has been completed. Pathanamthitta is lagging behind the most, 79 per cent.
Around 5.55 lakh health workers had received the first dose of the vaccine, but only 4.62 lakh has taken the second dose.
Around 5.71 lakh frontline workers, including the cops, took the first dose. But only 4.82 lakh received the second dose (84 per cent). An average of over 50 health workers are getting infected with Covid daily, according to the figures of the State health department.
