"Booster Dose Of Covid-19 Vaccine In The Stage Of Scientific Ideation": Govt

The central government has affirmed that the third booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine is currently in scientific ideation stage and vaccinating the priority population is the primary focus as of now.

The total vaccination coverage crossed the 36 crore mark by Tuesday evening.

Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), told the Times of India, “The booster dose is still at the scientific ideation stage and efficacy is not proven.”

Bhargava further revealed that research is being conducted to discover the time period for which antibodies induced by vaccines persist in a body.

He mentioned that some studies have shown that antibodies in a patient who recovered from Covid-19 could last for 7-12 months. However, Bhargava asserted that no such clarity has been obtained regarding the antibodies developed through vaccines.

Until now, 46.2 per cent of people aged above 45 years in India have received at least a single dose of their Covid-19 vaccine. Similarly, around 17.2 per cent of individuals aged between 18-44 years have been given at least their first jab of the vaccine.

The nationwide vaccination program was re-centralized from 21^st June and the overall coverage has expanded sharply since then.