Govt mulls reducing gap between second dose and booster dose for those travelling abroad | India News

NEW DELHI: The Department of Health is considering a proposal to reduce the interval between the second dose of Covid vaccines and preventive doses for up to three months for those planning to travel abroad. However, a final decision on the matter has yet to be made, the sources said.
Currently, only adults who have reached nine months from the second dose of the Covid vaccine are eligible to receive the third dose or increase amount.
Proposal went ahead National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
The advisory panel has recommended that those who need to travel abroad can take the precautionary dose of Covid vaccine required by the country they are visiting before the mandatory nine-month gap.
This move comes in the context that some representatives of the Ministry are looking for a preventive dose of the Covid vaccine for people who have to go abroad to work, commit to business, enroll in foreign educational institutes, participate in sporting events and bilateral and multilateral meetings as part. of the official delegation of India.
India started providing preventive doses of the Covid vaccine to healthcare workers and frontline workers and people aged 60 and over with comorbidities from January 10 this year.
The comorbidities clause was removed in March, making all people over 60 eligible for a preventive dose of the Covid vaccine.
On April 10, India started rolling out preventive doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all people over 18 years old at private vaccination centres.