Covid-19: Reduce booster interval, Telangana minister T Harish Rao writes to Centre

HYDERABAD: Health minister T Harish Rao has urged the Centre to reduce the interval between the second dose and the precautionary dose from the current nine months to six, citing 'increasing Covid-19 cases' and concern over safety of citizens. For healthcare workers, he requested the interval be reduced to three months. Incidentally, the state has administered over five crore doses so far.
In a letter to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Rao on Tuesday said, "Based on the experience of booster dose policies of countries like the US and the UK, it is requested to kindly consider decreasing the interval between second dose and precautionary dose from nine to six months and examine the possibility of further decreasing it to three months for all healthcare workers.Consider including citizens above 60 years of age for precautionary dose irrespective of comorbidities and consider booster dose for all above 18 years."

The letter said that Covid vaccination has already aided in reducing the overall infection rate and severity. "The state has initiated precautionary dose to the risk groups as per guidelines of the Government of India. Data of Covid infections and hospitalisations has beyond doubt proved that vaccines are highly effective and are preventing severe morbidity, hospitalisation and mortality," it added.
The minister mentioned that based on the experience of booster dose policies in US and the UK, they put forth the proposals.