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

<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong> Top Health Ministry officials told a parliamentary panel that if required, <a title="&lt;strong&gt;a booster Covid-19 vaccine dose&lt;/strong&gt;" href="https://ift.tt/3rQw91J" target=""><strong>a booster Covid-19 vaccine dose</strong></a>&nbsp;could be taken but only after nine months of the second dose, PTI reported.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>"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.</p> <p>The Parliamentary panel was informed that there were more than 100 countries accepting vaccine certificates issued by the Indian government for international travel.</p> <p>The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation will hold a meeting on Friday over Covid-19 booster dose.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>On Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration <a title="&lt;strong&gt;gave emergency authorisation for 16- and 17-year-olds&lt;/strong&gt;" href="https://ift.tt/3lOR7dk" target=""><strong>gave emergency authorisation for 16- and 17-year-olds</strong></a>&nbsp;to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer -- if it's been six months since their last shot, AP reported.</p>

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