NTAGI for reducing Covid booster dose gap from 9 to 6 months

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 16

India’s apex vaccine strategy recommending body, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in its meeting on Thursday recommended reducing the gap between the second dose of the Covid vaccine and the booster dose from the current nine to six months.

The precaution dose uptake has been very low in India with just 42 of even the eligible elderly covered so far.

NTAGI did not make any recommendations on allowing a heterologous (mixed) booster dose and said more evidence was needed to allow a vaccine different from the one used in primary two dose schedule to be used as a booster.

NTAGI reviewed CMC Vellore study on allowing a different vaccine as a booster but didn’t recommend anything.

The health ministry will take a call on NTAGI proposal on cutting the booster dose gap.

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