COVID VACCINE PRECAUTION DOSE NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL ADULTS

The third dose of Covid-19 vaccines, the booster dose known as “precaution dose” in India, will now be available to the 18-years-plus population group from 10 April onwards at private Covid-19 vaccination centres, said the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Friday. All those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose, would be eligible for the precaution dose, the ministry said in a statement. This facility would be available in all private vaccination centres.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday termed the extension of the COVID-19 vaccination drive of precaution dose to all above 18 years of age as an “extra layer of safety”. “Adding an extra layer of safety! Precaution Dose to be available to 18+ age group from 10th April, 2022, at Private Vaccination Centres. All 18+ who have completed 9 months after administration of 2nd dose, would be eligible for Precaution Dose,” Mandaviya tweeted.

India started administering the precaution dose to frontline workers, healthcare workers and those above the age of 60 years with comorbidities from 10 January this year. Later, on 16 March, the vaccination drive for the precaution dose was extended to all adults above the age of 60 years.

The medical community in general welcomed the announcement.

Welcoming the decision, chairman and managing director of Medanta, The Medicity, Dr Naresh Trehan said that there was enough clinical data to show that booster dose was helping people in protecting them from infection. Dr Trehan said, “I welcome this step by the government. I think there was enough clinical data to show that booster dose is helping people and protecting them from infection and reinfection. Also if people get infected with the virus, the intensity is very mild.” “Acknowledging the value being established by this step, the government’s decision to start booster doses will protect the population. It is a good step taken and I welcome this step from the medical community. We have seen in patients that booster doses protect people,” Dr Trehan said. “New variants are coming. Booster doses will increase immunity as well.”

However, a top health expert said that booster dose did not serve as a substitute for other precautionary

measures which were being followed to curb the spread of the infection.

The head of the research cell at the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kochi, Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that it was a must to continue wearing masks, follow social distancing, while techniques like contact tracing and testing should not be done away with as yet. “The pandemic is still going on and we will definitely see further waves, but the timings of the waves cannot be predicted,” Dr Jayadevan said.

Noting that vaccination has significantly reduced the fatalities caused by the virus and also prevented the severity of the disease, Dr Jayadevan said, “The public should not think that if they have taken a booster dose then everything will be fine. All measures need to be continued and followed.” “It is not a substitute for other (precautionary) measures,” he added.

Dr Jayadevan also said that vaccination in terms of third doses is being used across the world to reduce the chances of contracting the infection and added that it could be the reason behind extending the precaution dose to all adults.

The Health Ministry said that so far, about 96% of all 15+ population in the country have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose while about 83% of 15+ population has received both doses of the vaccine.

More than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 60 years of age. A total of 45% of 12 to 14 years age group have also received the first dose. They are being administered Corbevax vaccine, which is manufactured by Biological E.

The ongoing free vaccination programme through government vaccination centres for the first and second dose to the eligible population as well as precaution dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years would continue and would be accelerated, the ministry said.