Health Ministry reduces gap between 2nd Covid dose & booster dose from 9 to 6 months

July 6: The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday revised the duration between the second COVID vaccine dose and precautionary dose from the existing 9 months to 6 months. This was based on the recommendation of  the  Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the NTAGI in June.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote, “In the view of evolving scientific evidence and global practices, Standing Technical Sub Committee (STSC) of ‘National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’ (NTAGI) has recommended to revise the duration between 2nd dose and precaution dose from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks. This has also been endorsed by NTAGI.

The Health Secretary said that for beneficiaries aged above 60 years and above as well as the Health Care Workers (HCWs) & Front Line Workers (FLWs), a precaution dose would be administered after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose at Government CVCs, free of charge.

On January 10, India rolled out precaution third dose health care workers, frontline workers, and citizens above 60 years with comorbidities. At that time, the health ministry issued guidelines that the precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months — that is, 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose. Now the precaution third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has been reduced from nine months to six months.