New Delhi: The government is considering a Covid-19 vaccine booster for all those above 18 years in view of a surge in coronavirus infections in several parts of the world. The booster dose will ease difficulties faced during international travel, sources said Monday. Currently, healthcare and frontline workers and those above 60 years are being administered booster doses. All people above 60 years have become eligible for the precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccine after the Union Health Ministry removed the co-morbidity clause recently.
The prioritisation and sequencing of the booster dose is based on the completion of nine months, or 39 weeks, from the date of administration of the second dose.
“The government is considering a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine for all those above 18 years in view of a surge in infections in parts of the world and to ease difficulties faced during international travel,” a source said Monday.
Also read: Odisha rolls out booster doses for frontline workers and elderly citizens
India began administering precaution doses of the vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with co-morbidities from January 10 this year.
Since January 10, more than 2.17 crore precaution doses have been administered to the identified categories of beneficiaries so far.
India began Covid-19 vaccination for children in the age group of 12-14 years from March 16 this year.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021, with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.