Precautionary COVID-19 vaccine dose will be the same vaccine that has been given previously: Centre
A Pharmacist prepares to give a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine at a temporary vaccine centre set up at an Odeon cinema complex in Maidstone, southeast England | AFP
The precautionary COVID-19 vaccine dose, which will be administered to the frontline workers, healthcare workers and those above 60 years of age with comorbidities from January 10, will be the same vaccine that has been given previously, NITI Aayog's Dr. VK Paul said on Wednesday. "Those who've received Covaxin will receive Covaxin, those who've received primary two doses of Covishield will receive Covishield," he added.
Who can take the precautionary dose?
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 60 years of age having comorbidities are eligible for the precautionary dose. However, beneficiaries would only be able to get the dose only if 39 weeks, i.e. nine months, have elapsed after they received the second dose of the vaccine.
Meanwhile, IGMR's Dr Balram Bhargava said Omicron is the predominant circulating strain in the cities in the country. Mass gatherings should be avoided to lower the speed of this spread, he added.
The Union Health Ministry has said that India has reported more than 6.3 times increase in cases in the last 8 days. A sharp increase has been seen in case positivity from 0.79% on 29th Dec 2021 to 5.03% on 5th January 2022, the ministry said.
The states of concern are Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Gujarat where there has been a rise in cases. 28 districts in the country are reporting more than 10% weekly positivity, it added.
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