India has no plans for Covid boosters
INDIA is not considering authorising booster Covid-19 doses yet as many in the country have been naturally infected and the government believes two doses of a vaccine offers sufficient protection for now, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.
As vaccine supplies have increased, some doctors and public health experts in India have urged the government to start a booster programme for the most vulnerable like many Western nations have done.
But authorities will instead concentrate on having most of India’s 944 million adults complete a twodose vaccination by January before shifting their focus to a big expansion in exports, said the sources who are involved in vaccine-policy discussions.
So far, 81 percent of India’s adults have received at least one dose while 43 percent have had two doses. Vaccination for people under 18 has not yet begun.
‘The priority is to fully immunise the adult population,’ said one of the sources. The source said that once most adults have had two vaccine doses, the government could make boosters optional.
The health ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
India reported the most Covid-19 case and death figures in the world in April and May and government surveys have shown that nearly 70 percent of Indians were naturally infected by July. The country has so far logged 34.5 million infections – the most after the US – with more than 465,000 deaths.