The Union health ministry on Wednesday cut the gap between the second and precautionary doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, from nine months to six months.
Since December 28, 2021, the precautionary dose was being administered nine months, or 39 weeks, after the second dose. Now, those aged between 18 and 59 will be administered the booster dose after 26 weeks at private vaccination centres. Those above 60 years, healthcare and frontline workers would get their precautionary dose at government vaccination centres.
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization’s (NTAGI’s) Standing Technical Sub Committee recommended a revision of the duration between the second and third doses, and this was endorsed by the NTAGI, the health ministry said.
Total vaccinations in the country till Wednesday were at 1.98 billion doses, with 90% of the adult population fully vaccinated with two doses, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya had announced on Monday. Total precautionary doses administered in the country were at 46.5 million.
The country reported 16,159 new Covid-19 cases and 28 deaths on Wednesday. The country’s active caseload was at 1,15,212. Daily case positivity stood at 3.56%, while the weekly case positivity stood at 3.84%. Total tests conducted in the country were at 4,54,465.