In a significant announcement, the World Health Organisation said Wednesday that introduction of booster doses should be “firmly evidence-driven” and “targeted” at population groups at highest risk of serious disease, and frontline healthcare workers.
The WHO’s statement on booster doses comes after its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) said evidence till date indicates “a minimal to modest reduction” of vaccine protection against severe disease over six months after the second dose. On October 4, the SAGE had said that introduction of booster doses should be targeted at population groups in greatest need, but it also said it needed to deliberate on evidence for the booster dose.
The WHO recommendations could potentially set the ball rolling for India to look at administration of booster doses to the two priority groups. The interim statement on the booster has significant implications: first, because India closely follows the recommendations of the WHO; and second, India began vaccinating healthcare workers from January 16 this year.
