COVID Vaccine: Indian Govt Relaxes 9-Month Gap For Booster Dose For These People

Picture courtesy Pixabay

New Delhi: All adults are eligible to take the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose after a gap of nine months. Now, the rule for the third dose has been relaxed.

Citizens travelling abroad can now get the precaution shot before the stipulated nine-month waiting period, as per guidelines of the destination country.

Necessary changes are being incorporated on the CoWin app.

“Indian citizens and students travelling overseas can now take the precaution dose as required by the guidelines of the destination country. This new facility will be available soon on the CoWIN portal,” Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.

The decision was taken based on recommendations made by National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), a government panel overseeing COVID vaccination in the country, reported PTI.

The panel took into account numerous representations from people who have to travel abroad for work, business commitments, admission to foreign schools and colleges, participate in sports events, and bilateral and multilateral meetings as part of India’s official delegation.

The process of administering booster dose started on January 10, with healthcare, frontline workers and senior citizens with comorbidities being eligible initially. The government removed the comorbidity clause in March when everyone above 60 could avail of the precaution dose.

A month ago, the precaution dose was open to all adults, at private vaccination centres.