COVID-19 Booster Dose on hold says: Source

The Govt. wants to complete the two-dose vaccination by January 2022, then will plan to give a booster dose

New Delhi: The Central Govt. is not planning to recommend citizens to get the booster shots of COVID vaccination. The Modi Govt. believes that two doses are sufficient to combat the pandemic, says a source.

In India, vaccine supplies have increased, some doctors and public health experts in India have urged the Modi Govt. to start a booster programme for the most vulnerable like many Western nations have done.

According to a source, who is a part of vaccination-policy said, the government will instead focus on having most of India's 944 million adults complete a two-dose vaccination by January 2022 before shifting their focus to a big expansion in exports.

Almost 81 per cent of the eligible adults of the country has received at least one dosage of the vaccine while 43 per cent have had two doses.

"The priority is to fully immunize the adult population," said one of the sources. The sources refused to be named as the matter was still being discussed by policymakers.

"A big majority has been naturally infected, and for them, two doses are enough. That's why we are seeing that even after recent festivals, cases are not rising," the source added.

"Once most adults have had two vaccine doses, Modi Govt. could make boosters optional."

Till now, the Health Ministry hasn't commented on the discussion of booster dose publically. 

The country has so far logged 34.5 million infections - the most after the United States - with more than 465,000 deaths. Even though India celebrated two of its biggest festivals, Diwali and Durga Puja in October and November, infections have fallen to multi-month lows.

Indian vaccine companies like the Serum Institute of India, which produces licensed versions of the AstraZeneca and Novavax shots, expect the government to allow boosters sometime early next year.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories says it is in talks with India's drug regulator to sell Russia's Sputnik Light as a booster dose.