'Will increase immunity': Expert lauds booster dose for 18+ to protect against new variants
Premium- New variants are coming. Booster doses will increase immunity as well: Dr. Naresh Trehan
NEW DELHI : "New variants are coming. Booster doses will increase immunity as well," Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta - The Medicity, Dr Naresh Trehan, said in an interview on Friday.
Trehan's comments come as the Union Health Ministry announced that everyone above the age of 18 years will get Covid booster or precautionary dose from Sunday, 10 April. These doses will be available in private vaccination centres only, the government's official data stated.
Dr. Naresh Trehan also mentioned that there are ample data to show that booster dose is helping people in protecting them from infection.
Notably, the expert warned about newer mutations of the deadly virus penetrating human populations at a time when Shanghai has been struggling with its worst ever outbreak and UK has seen a massive chunk of its population getting affected with the new XE variant of the coronavirus.
The doctor also welcomes the government's decision to start administering precautionary dose for all above 18 years of age. The Centre has said that a beneficiary can take the booster shot when they have completed nine months after the second dose.
"I welcome this step by the government. I think there was enough clinical data to show that booster dose is helping people and protecting them from infection and reinfection. Also if people get infected with the virus, the intensity is very mild."
"Acknowledging the value being established by this step, the government's decision to start booster doses will protect the population. It is a good step taken and I welcome this step from the medical community. We have seen in patients that booster doses protect people," Dr Trehan said.
India started administering precaution doses to frontline workers, healthcare workers and those above the age of 60 years with comorbidities on 10 January this year. Later, on 16 March, the vaccination drive for precaution dose was extended to all adults above the age of 60 years.
The Health Ministry informed that so far, about 96% of all 15-plus population in the country have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose while about 83% of the 15-plus population has received both doses of the vaccine.
More than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 60 years of age.
A total of 45% of the 12 to 14 years age group have received the first dose. They are being administered the Corbevax vaccine, which is manufactured by Biological E.
The ongoing free vaccination programme through government vaccination centres for the first and second dose to the eligible population as well as precaution dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years would continue and would be accelerated, the ministry said.
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