Govt panel recommends Sputnik Light vaccine as booster dose: Report
PremiumAn expert panel of India's central drug authority had back in March recommended the permission for conducting a phase-3 clinical trial of Sputnik Light as a booster dose
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has given its approval to the Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine to be administered as a precaution dose, PTI reported, quoting sources.
"The NTAGI's Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) which held its meeting on Friday discussed the issue and recommended that Sputnik Light, which has the same component of Sputnik V's first dose, will be given as the precaution dose," the news agency quoted an official as saying.
Currently, there is no policy decision on providing a precautionary dose to those inoculated with the Russian vaccine. The CoWIN portal does not contain an option for a precaution dose for Sputnik V.
Many Sputnik V recipients who had taken their second dose way back in July last year have so far been unable to get boosted.
An expert panel of India's central drug authority had back in March recommended the permission for conducting a phase-3 clinical trial of Sputnik Light as a booster dose.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had in February this year granted emergency use permission to Sputnik Light vaccine in India, subject to certain regulatory provisions.
The two-dose Sputnik V vaccine was granted approval by DCGI in April 2021 for restricted use in an emergency situation in India.
Booster dose in India
The union government on 10 April extended the booster dose vaccine to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres. All those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose, are eligible for getting the precaution dose.
The Centre has also allowed the private Covid-19 vaccination centres to charge up to a maximum of ₹150 as a service charge for vaccination over and above the cost of the vaccine.
The precaution dose was available free of cost only to those above 60 years of age, healthcare workers and frontline workers earlier.