Centre slashes Covid booster dose gap from 9 to 6 months

New Delhi: Following the scientific evidence and global practices to contain the spread of Covid, the Union Health ministry on Wednesday revised the gap period for booster doses from the existing nine months to six months for all eligible beneficiaries in India.

The ministry, which is led by Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, has taken the decision on the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) to safeguard the countrymen from the deadly virus.

Notably, the Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the NTAGI in June recommended reducing the gap between the second and precaution doses of the Covid vaccine.

In a letter to all states and Union Territories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said: "In view of the evolving scientific evidence and global practices, "Standing Technical Sub Committee" (STSC) of "National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization" (NTAGI) has recommended revising the duration between the second dose and precaution dose from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks. This has also been endorsed by NTAGI."

The Secretary further maintained in his letter to the states: "Therefore, it has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose at private Covid vaccination centres (CVs)."

However, he added: "For beneficiaries belonging to 60 years and above age group as well as the healthcare workers and frontline workers, precaution dose would be administered after the completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose at government Covid vaccination centres for free of cost."

"The changes have also been made in the CoWIN system to facilitate the new dispensation, the letter said, adding that "instructions in this regard may be issued to all the concerned officials."

As per the Health ministry data, the total tally of Covid cases rose to 4,35,47,809 after India logged 16,159 new Coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, while the active cases increased to 1,15,212 and with 28 new fatalities, the death count climbed to 5,25,270.

The active cases comprise 0.26 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.53 per cent, the ministry said. An increase of 737 cases has been recorded in the active Covid caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.56 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 3.84 per cent, the ministry said.

In a cornerstone achievement, India's Covid vaccination coverage crossed 198.31 crore on Wednesday after more than 10 lakh vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on the 357th day of the nationwide vaccination. In total, 1,98,31,81,839 doses of Covid have been inoculated to eligible beneficiaries.