India / COVID-19 vaccine for booster dose to be same as previous doses, not mix & match: Govt

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said the same vaccine will be administered as the third dose of booster or precaution dose of vaccine and no mix and match will be allowed as of now.  This means those who have received Covishield as their first and second dose will receive Covishield as their third dose. Similarly, those who have received Covaxin in their first two doses will receive Covaxin in the third dose, Niti Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul said during the press briefing of the health ministry. 

The government has not taken any decision on the mix and match of vaccines in India though Dr Paul had earlier said that there was no problem in principle to mix and match.  

As more data is received about a heterologous approach in the administration of vaccines, decisions will be taken going forward, the Centre said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25 announced the major upgrade of the Centre's vaccination policy which has included teens for their first two doses and frontline staff and senior citizens with comorbidities for booster doses. While vaccination for the population belonging to 15 to 18 years has already started from January 3, the administration of booster doses, being termed as precaution dose in India, will start from January 10. The government so far has not made it clear which vaccine will be administered as the booster shot. 

India's decision to administer the third dose comes amid an Omicron alert. On the lines of booster doses being administered in their countries, the government has chosen the most vulnerable section for the third dose.

The Union health ministry on Wednesday issued a revised guideline for home isolation of mild or asymptomatic Covid-19 cases. It said patients under home isolation will stand discharged after at least seven days from testing positive and no fever for three successive days, in revised guidelines for home isolation of mild or asymptomatic cases. It also advised people not to rush for self-medication, blood investigation or radiological imaging like chest X-ray or CT scan without consultation of treating medical officer.