Official sources said that the government may rethink its policy booster doses of Covid vaccines, as its scientific experts said that the benefits of the third shot may not merit expansion of the coverage to other age groups.

On Tuesday, The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) for Covid-19 and the WHO had a high-level meeting to discuss the matter. The members had assessed real-world data from countries that gave boosters shots and studying the infection patterns, behaviour of the virus, emerging variants and viral loads along with breakthrough and reinfections

A senior official said that the "precaution doses" could continue to be administered to healthcare workers and those above 60 years with co-morbidities under the government’s national immunization program as per the existing policy, but reconsideration was necessary. Boosters have not helped the cases in any country that has administered the third dose and the decisions should be based after accessing the local epidemiology and science.

A total of 86.87 lakh "precaution doses" have been administered to health and frontline workers and those above 60 years with co-morbidities since January 10, an estimated nearly 3 crore health and frontline workers and over 2.75 crore people in the 60-plus age group with co-morbidities were eligible to get the booster shots.

WHO experts had already told that repeating booster doses of the original Covid vaccines were not a viable strategy against emerging variants. They would come up with guidance on booster doses soon.

Officials told that the need of the hour was to develop a vaccine that could prevent the severity of the disease and also the spread of infection, avoiding community transmission. India has been rather slow in endorsing boosters. The government has maintained that any such decision will be governed by scientific evidence.

Source: ET Healthworld