Centre to take a decision on the mix and match vaccine doses soon | Fusion - WeRIndia

As the COVID cases are rising in the country, the government recommended taking precautionary doses for all adults.

The booster dose or precautionary dose was approved for healthcare workers and elderly citizens in the past. But, recently, the government approved a booster dose for all adults.

As per WHO, booster doses restore vaccine effectiveness in vaccinated people. In this context, the Centre will decide on the mix and match doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore was approved to conduct homologous and heterologous booster dose trials.

CMC carried out a mixed vaccine study to know the response of a fully vaccinated person to a booster dose of the same vaccine or another vaccine. The Institute will present the data before the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) soon.

Gagandeep Kang, the senior vaccine expert at CMC Vellore, said that they got permission to test samples from the study last week.

The health ministry screening committee asked them to test the samples for deciding on the mix and match dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Hence, they would generate data. It would take around two weeks for that.

CMC Vellore will submit the data to the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) within a week and then to CDSCO.  They already sought an appointment from the board for this.

Meanwhile, there is a massive upsurge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital region. Hence, the health department of Gurugram issued an advisory to schools on COVID appropriate behaviour.

As per the advisory, schools should ensure that all students must wear face masks and maintain physical distancing. They shall undergo thermal screening.

Besides, school management should not allow symptomatic children to the school. Children who tested COVID positive shall be isolated for seven days. Their close contacts also have to be tested. Schools shall make sure that the disinfection of classrooms must be done daily.

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