All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Guleria officially stated that people might have to adopt a booster dose with second-generation Covid-19 vaccines as the Delta variant of the coronavirus has swept across the world and driven up infections in several countries.
Adding that the booster dose will be the second generation of vaccine, Guleria said, “It seems that we probably need the booster dose of vaccines as with the passage of time the immunity tends to fall,” Dr Guleria said in an interview with ANI. “There is waning immunity. We would like to have a booster dose that will cover for various emerging variants,” “We will have second-generation vaccines which would be better in terms of the immunity they give, covering of the new variants and a having a better overall efficacy,” he added.
The Delta variant of Covid-19 found in India and now spreading across the globe is infecting even the fully vaccinated people. The spread of the Delta variant has forced some countries to step up their vaccination campaigns and bring back curbs on businesses, activity and travel. 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 Balram Bhargava, director-general, the Indian Council of Medical Research said, “Booster dose is in the stage of scientific ideation,”
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