Govt hasn't reduced time gap for administering COVID 'precaution dose' from 9 to 6 months: Sources

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): The Government of India has not reduced the time gap for administering 'precaution dose' of COVID-19 vaccine from nine months to six months, official sources said on Saturday.
According to some media reports, it was expected to discuss reducing the gap for booster doses in the National advisory group on Immunisation (NTAGI) meeting held on Friday, but sources told ANI on anonymity that no discussion was carried out during the NTAGI meeting.
There are mixed views of experts over whether one should reduce the gap of a booster dose in India as per official data, less number of people have shown interest in getting a third dose as a precaution dose despite being allowed by the Government of India for those above the age of 18 years.
According to Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) COVID-19 national task force, the longer the gap is between the primary vaccination and the third dose against COVID-19 infection, the better the immunity is in the individual.
He said, "We observed that, if the second dose administered to the beneficiary was very recent, it did not make any difference. In other words, you're already protected. But, if a third dose is administered, then it did not make much of a difference."
"However, we also observed people's immunity who waited for a long period of time, let's say six months or longer after the second dose. We found that adding a third dose did make a difference."
The administration of Precaution Dose to the 18+ population through Private Vaccination Centres began on April 10, 2022. All those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed 9 months after the administration of the second dose, would be eligible for Precaution Dose.
So far, about 96 per cent of all 15+ population in the country have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while about 83 per cent of the 15+ population has received both doses, the government data said. (ANI)