As various mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 are emerging, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria said there might be a need for India to adopt a booster dose
As various mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 have emerged, including the Delta variant, and in the near future, more variants are expected to emerge, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria said that there might be a need for India to adopt a booster dose with second-generation COVID-19 vaccines.
Talking to news agency ANI, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) chief said, "It seems that we probably need the booster dose of vaccines as with the passage of time the immunity tends to fall. There is waning immunity. We would like to have a booster dose that will cover for various emerging variants.”
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.”
He said that the booster vaccine dose will be given when the entire population will be vaccinated. “Trials of booster vaccine shots are already going 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," Dr Guleria said.
Currently, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin trials for children are underway and the results of the same are expected to be released by September this year, the AIIMS chief said.
Dr Guleria said, "The vaccines for children should come out now because trials in India are already there in the vaccines which are available in India, Bharat Biotech trial is in the final phase by September we will have the data."
"In the coming few weeks or by September vaccines should be available for children. We should then start schools in a graded manner as we have been doing for 18-45 years age and that also will give more protection to kids and more confidence to the public that children are safe."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}