Indian citizens and students are now eligible for a booster shot, according to the health minister

People travelling overseas can now get Covid booster shots if they need them, according to the Center. This follows NTAGI’s recommendation to reduce the time between the second and third shots for persons travelling abroad.

“Indian citizens & students travelling overseas can now take the precaution dose as required by the guidelines of the destination country.” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote on Twitter.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) said on Wednesday that those who want to go overseas can shorten the nine-month gap between the second and booster doses of the covid-19 vaccine, as required by the government. The recommendation was later forwarded to the Union Health ministry.

Several requests for the precaution dose of Covid vaccine have been received by the Centre in recent months from people who need to travel abroad for work, business, admission to foreign educational institutes, participation in sports events, and bilateral and multilateral meetings as part of India’s official delegation.

“The issue was discussed in a meeting of NTAGI held last week after which it recommended that those who need to travel overseas can take the booster shot, before the stipulated nine-month waiting period, as per the booster guidelines of the country they are travelling to,” a source told PTI.

Meanwhile, NTAGI is meeting again this week to analyse data for covid-19 immunisation of children aged 5 to 12 years old and to finalise vaccination protocols.

The results of the last two meetings were inconclusive, with NTAGI experts remaining sceptical of the paediatric data available for vaccination.

Source: Mint