New Delhi: As India reports a resurgence in COVID-19 cases across many states, the Government advisory panel Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) on Thursday recommended reducing the gap between the second and precaution doses of COVID vaccines from the current nine to six months. The Health Ministry will take the final call on the recommendation soon, official sources were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“In the meeting today, members agreed on reducing the gap between the second and the precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the current nine months to six months on the basis of scientific evidence and data,” the source told PTI. Currently, 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.
The central government last month allowed citizens and students travelling overseas to get the shot before the stipulated nine-month waiting period as required by the guidelines of the destination country. The STSC members also agreed on administration of an additional third dose for renal transplant patients before the precaution dose.
Mixing of jabs for booster shots reviewed
The government advisory panel, which met on Thursday, also reviewed the findings of a study by the Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore on the feasibility of allowing a Covid vaccine different from the one used for primary vaccination, as precaution dose. The panel members found a lack of uniformity in results upon mixing of jabs for booster shots and stated that no recommendation for it can be made as of now. The CMC study was on Covishield and Covaxin.
COVID vaccine for children on agenda
The panel also reviewed data on Covaxin and Corbevax vaccines for the 6-12 age group. “The members opined that data of Covid burden and mortality among children is not robust enough to take any decision to begin vaccination of those below 12 years,” the source stated. India’s drug regulator in April this year had granted emergency use authorisation for Biological E’s COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for those aged five to 12 years and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for children in the age group of six to 12 years.
Monkeypox and its vaccination also discussed
The threat of monkeypox and the requirement of vaccination were also discussed in the meeting of the panel of the NTAGI, the sources said. “However, the members were of the view that a strong surveillance is what is required as of now. No case of monkeypox has been detected in the country till now,” one of the sources told PTI.
