Over 9 lakh 'precaution doses' were administered to eligible beneficiaries as India began administering the third jab of the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people aged 60 and above with comorbidities on Monday, 10 January.
A total of 4,91,013 healthcare workers, 1,90,383 frontline workers, and 2,54,868 received their 'precaution dose' on Monday, as per data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "India began administering Precaution Doses. Kudos to those who have got vaccinated today. I would request all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. As we all know, vaccination remains among the most effective means to fight COVID-19."
Those eligible for the precautionary dose are permitted to receive the third dose only nine months after having received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The government had previously informed that the precautionary COVID-19 vaccine dose will be the same vaccine as has been given previously. There will be no mixing of vaccines yet.
The health ministry had also said that there is no need to register for the precautionary vaccine doses. This means that those who are eligible for the dose can directly take an appointment or walk into any vaccination centre.
There is, however, no information on when all the adults will be eligible for the third jab. Meanwhile, Assembly elections for five poll-bound states are round the corner, despite a surge in coronavirus cases.
3rd Covaxin Dose Holds Promise: ICMR
Meanwhile, a day ahead of the expansion of the vaccination drive, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that Covaxin's third dose holds promise.
"Third dose of Covaxin holds promise," the ICMR wrote in a tweet. The medical agency also reiterated the benefits of the booster dose, saying that there is reassuring information on the safety and immunogenicity of a Covaxin booster dose.
"Good neutralising antibody titre detected against homologous and heterologous SARS-CoV 2 variants following booster. Reactogenicity in both vaccine and placebo arm of the trial was minimal and comparable. No serious adverse events were reported."ICMR
India on Sunday, 9 January, recorded 1,59,632 new COVID-19 cases, 40,863 recoveries, and 327 deaths in the span of 24 hours. The country also confirmed 3,623 cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
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