From August 12, option of Corbevax as booster doses for all jabbed with Covaxin, Covishield earlier

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The Union health ministry on August 10 announced that COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax by Biological E will be available for all adults jabbed with Covaxin or Covishield earlier as booster dose, beginning August 12.

This is the first time mixing of COVID-19 vaccine is being permitted in India at the programmatic level under the national vaccination drive against coronavirus.

In a letter written to state health secretaries, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that based on scientific evidence, global practices and the recommendations of domain knowledge experts it has now been decided to further “redefine” the precaution dose administration under COVID-19 vaccination program.

It is to convey that Corbevax will be available as precaution dose after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose of either Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for population above 18 years, said the letter.

Also read: Top virologists weigh in for Corbevax booster after primary vaccination with Covishield, Covaxin 

This enables use of Corbevax, a protein subunit vaccine, as a heterologous Cavid-19 vaccine for precaution dose administration in this age group, it also said and added that there will be no change in existing guidelines for homologous precaution dose administration of Covaxin and Covishield vaccine.

In addition to the existing homologous precaution dose, the option of a heterologous precaution dose with Corbevax would be available to all persons above 18 years of age, wrote the secretary.

The Centre has specified that all necessary changes in regard to the administration of heterologous precaution dose using Corbevax, to those who are eligible and due for precaution dose have been made on the Co-WIN portal and this provision would be live from August 12.

Instruction in this regard may be issued to all concerned field officials and it may also be publicized widely, the Centre has said.

Recently the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the top advisory panel on immunisation in India, had approved using Corbevax as booster dose for all adults after reviewing the scientific data. Country’s apex drug regulator, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, had done that already based on application and scientific evidence presented by the Hyderabad based vaccine maker.

As per the data shared by the government, nearly 11.3 crore precaution or booster doses have been administered in India so far. Beginning July 15, the Centre had made booster doses available free of cost for all adults in the country.

Prior to that, only those above 60 years of age, healthcare and frontline workers were eligible for free precaution doses at government centres while the 18-59-year age group was permitted to receive paid booster shots at private vaccination centres.