Covid Booster Dose: INSACOG Backtracks After Favouring Third Jab, Says 'More Experiment Needed'

INSACOG clarified that the mention of the booster dose in its previous bulletin was merely a "discussion about the potential role of an additional dose of Covid-19 vaccines in high-risk populations".

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New Delhi: Days after commenting in favour of vaccinating those above 40 years with a booster dose of Covid-19 jabs, the country's top genome sequencing laboratories on Saturday took a u-turn and said that their recommendation was not for national inoculation drive as several scientific experiments are still required to understand its impact.

In its recent bulletin dated December 4, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) said that many more scientific experiments are needed to assess the impacts of booster dose, which are being guided and monitored by National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).

It also clarified that the mention of the booster dose in its previous bulletin was merely a "discussion about the potential role of additional dose of Covid-19 vaccines in high-risk populations".

The genome sequencing laboratories also pointed out that recommendations and suggestions regarding vaccines, schedule, and roll-out came under the expressed mandate of NTAGI and NEGVAC.

Health Minister Says Decision On Booster Shots After Scientific Evidence

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that that the decision on booster doses of Covid vaccines will be taken after scientific advice.

While speaking in Lok Sabha during the Winter Session, Mandaviya said that the concerns were expressed by members over booster doses, but they should trust the scientists, who, by their tireless efforts, produced vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year's time.

Mandaviya's remarks came after several members of the Parliament pushed for a booster dose Coronavirus vaccine for elderly people, including immunocompromised and healthworkers who work in high-risk environments.

As per reports, the NTAGI is likely to hold a meeting in the days to come to assess whether there are adequate data on booster shots and waning immunity, where the effects of the vaccine wear off over a period of time.

(With inputs from PTI)