‘No evidence to show Indians need booster dose’

A health worker inoculates an elderly person in a car, outside the hospital, in Nadia, on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Many experts have recommended booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines in India, especially for comorbids or healthcare workers as they have already received both doses. But according to the government sources, the Centre is right now focusing on maximum coverage of full vaccination.

Dr Samiran Panda, who is the head of the Epidemiology and Infectious diseases division at the Indian Council of Medical Research, said, "Right now the scientific evidence from within the country does not underline the need for a booster dose... If you ask me, the need of the hour is to attain 80 per cent coverage or more among the individuals with two doses of vaccine. Reaching out to over 80 per cent of eligible individuals is public health priority now."

Dr Tamorish Kole, president of Asian Society for Emergency Medicine, said, "When we are talking about the third dose, we must prioritise with the low level of immunity, immune-compromised such as cancer patients and patients who received an organ transplant and give them the booster dose first. So, I will urge the government to prioritise the frontline workers to give the third dose."

Meanwhile, India added 10,488 new cases and 313 deaths, in 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry's data on Sunday morning. The active cases declined to 1,22,714.

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