NEW DELHI: The health ministry is considering a proposal to reduce the gap between the second dose of Covid vaccine and the precaution dose to three months for those planning to travel abroad. However, a final decision on the matter is yet to be taken, sources said.
Currently, only those adults who have complete nine months since the administration of the second dose of the Covid vaccines are eligible to receive a third or booster dose.
The proposal has already got a got ahead from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).
The advisory panel had recommended that those who need to travel overseas can take the precaution dose of Covid vaccine as required by the country they are travelling to before the mandatory nine-month gap.
The move comes in the wake of several representations to the ministry seeking the precaution dose of Covid vaccine for those who have to travel abroad for employment, business commitments, admission to foreign educational institutes, participating in sports events, and bilateral and multilateral meetings as part of India’s official delegation.
India began administering precaution doses of Covid vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 this year.
The comorbidity clause was removed in March making all people aged above 60 years eligible for the precaution dose of Covid vaccine.
On April 10, India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres.
