Covid Booster Shot Can Be Taken 9 Months After 2nd Dose: Health Officials Tell House Panel

Health Ministry officials made the statement while giving a presentation on the Omicron Covid-19 variant, which has caused global alarm and spurred another round of flight restrictions.

In India, both Covid-19 vaccine doses have reached only 34% of the population (PTI)

New Delhi: Top Health Ministry officials told a parliamentary panel that if required, a booster Covid-19 vaccine dose could be taken but only after nine months of the second dose, PTI reported.

The government has not authorised any Covid-19 booster shot so far even though there has been a clamour among healthcare professionals for a third dose.

Health Ministry officials made the statement while giving a presentation on the Omicron Covid-19 variant, which has caused global alarm and spurred another round of flight restrictions.

Health Secretary, ICMR Director General, and other top officials from the ministry deposed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health on the issue 'Challenges posed by Omicron variant of COVID-19' on Thursday, PTI reported.

The officials told the panel that so far, 23 cases of Omicron variant had been detected in India. Maharashtra leads the chart with 10 cases, followed by Rajasthan with nine.

"Tackling COVID-19 is like game of police-thief and authorities should stay ahead of the virus," an Health Ministry official said at the meeting, PTI reported.

The Parliamentary panel was informed that there were more than 100 countries accepting vaccine certificates issued by the Indian government for international travel.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation will hold a meeting on Friday over Covid-19 booster dose.

Recently, the Serum Institute of India had sought approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Covishield as a booster dose citing its adequate stock and demand for booster shots due to the emergence of Omicron.

On Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorisation for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer -- if it's been six months since their last shot, AP reported.