India: As already announced by PM Modi during the month of December, 2021 precautionary third doses of vaccines will be given to health and frontline workers and immuno-compromised seniors starting today as Covid numbers spike in the country, driven by Omicron.
Here are some facts about the same:
About 5.75 crore people are eligible for the third dose in the ongoing drive — 2.75 crore above the age of 60, 1 crore healthcare workers and 2 crore frontline workers.
The health ministry has said there is no need to register for the precautionary vaccine doses. Those eligible can directly take an appointment or walk into any vaccination centre. There is no decision yet on booster doses for all adults.
Those above the age of 60 years who have co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension and other chronic ailments have the option of getting the “Precaution Dose” on the advice of their doctor.
One is only eligible for booster shots if they have completed 9 months of receiving the second dose of the Covid vaccine.
The third dose will be the same vaccine the people have received for their first and second doses. There will be no mix and match, the Centre has said. This means individuals who received two doses of Serum Institute’s Covishield vaccine will get a third dose of the same. Those who got Bharat Biotech’s Covexin will get a third jab of it.
Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research said “All Covid vaccines, whether they are from India, Israel, US, Europe, UK, or China, are primarily disease-modifying. They don’t prevent infection. The precautionary dose is primarily to mitigate the severity of infection, hospitalisation, and death.”