The Union ministry of health and family welfare on Wednesday reduced the gap for Covid-19 precaution doses as well as the second dose from existing nine months to six months for those above 18 years. The government’s advisory body on vaccination-the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI)-had recommended reducing the gap for the booster shot.
“Therefore, it has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose at a private vaccination centre," read a letter by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan to all states. Earlier, the duration between the second dose and precaution dose was nine months. It has now been reduced to six months or 26 weeks."For beneficiaries aged above 60 years as well as the healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs), precaution dose would be administered after completion of six months at government vaccination centres free of cost," it added.