Is a third jab on the way? Serum Institute requests that DCGI approve Covishield as a booster dose
According to official sources, the Serum Institute of India has requested approval from India’s drug regulator for Covishield as a booster dose, citing adequate stock of the vaccine in the country and a demand for a booster shot due to the emergence of new coronavirus variants.
Prakash Kumar Singh, the Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII), stated in an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has already approved the booster dose of AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine.
According to the application, Singh stated that as the world continues to deal with the pandemic situation, many countries have begun administering booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
“People in our country, as well as citizens of other countries, who have already been fully vaccinated with two doses of Covishield, are continuously requesting our firm for booster dose,” Singh was quoted as saying in the application on Tuesday by an official source.
“You are aware that there is no shortage of Covishield in our country, and the demand for a booster dose from people who have already taken two doses is increasing day by day in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of new strains.”
According to Singh, it is the need of the hour and a matter of every individual’s right to health that they not be denied a third dose/booster dose to protect themselves in this pandemic situation.
The Union government has informed Parliament that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization and the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 are deliberating and reviewing scientific evidence to determine the need for and justification for a booster dose.
Recently, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh urged the Centre to consider allowing booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to diseased people in light of concerns raised by ‘Omicron,’ a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
On November 25, the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to clarify its position on administering booster doses to those who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, stating that it does not want a second-wave-like situation because it is conservative.
