India may need booster dose of Covid vaccine to fight new variants, says chief of AIIMS

July 25: With the passage of time, immunity tends to fall. Moreover, new Covid-19 variants continue to emerge. This means, people probably will need a booster dose of vaccines. This was said by Dr Randeep Gularia, chief of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The booster dose will be a second-generation vaccine, Dr Guleria said, which would be better in terms of immunity, “covering of the new variants and a having a better overall efficacy.”

Guleria said that trials of booster shots are already on. “You will probably need a booster dose till the end of this year. But that’s only once the population is vaccinated, then the next step will be to administer a booster dose,” he added.

Dr Randeep Guleria on Saturday further said that children in India can start getting vaccinated by September 2021. “As early as September, we should see children being vaccinated.” The news assumes significance as experts are anticipating that the third wave of Covid-19 may hit children hard. Vaccinating the younger lot is likely to strengthen the fight against Coronavirus.