New Delhi: Today, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) will convene to discuss the issue of allowing supplemental doses of Coronavirus vaccinations. Due to the advent of novel COVID variants, the Serum Institute of India has sought clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Covishield as a booster dosage, claiming ample supply and demand for booster doses. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) convened a lengthy meeting earlier this week, but no final recommendation on an extra COVID-19 vaccination dosage or vaccine for children was made.
There is a distinction to be made between a booster dosage and an extra dose. The booster dosage is administered after a predetermined length of time has passed after the main two doses were given, and an extra dose is given to patients who have fundamental immune system problems. If the immune function is not sufficiently established after the first two doses, a third dose of COVID vaccination is administered. Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India began distributing the Covishield vaccine in January of this year, and in the final week of November, it passed the one billion dosage threshold. So far, the nation has distributed 114.78 crore Covishield vaccines.