No move yet to expand list of beneficiaries for vaccine precautionary dose: Expert

With no plans to expand the eligibility for boosters, top sources close to the Union health ministry's Covid task groups across various states have said that the current thinking is on expanding paediatric vaccination between 12-15 age group.

A health worker administering Covid booster dose to a beneficiary at the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

There are no discussions currently to expand the list of eligible beneficiaries for a third precautionary dose in the country, especially as there has been widespread Omicron infection and an increasing focus on paediatric vaccination. “There has been widespread Omicron infection. Studies are now underway across pharmaceutical companies and academic groups on homologous or heterologous vaccines as third precautionary dose. Results are expected by the month-end and discussions will happen only post that,” Dr N K Arora, who heads the Covid working group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) told The Indian Express. “There is no iscussion on expanding the eligibility for a third precautionary dose presently,” he said.

So far the country’s cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 170.21 crore. Around 76 per cent eligible adults have been fully vaccinated and more than 99 per cent have got at least the first shot of the covid 19 vaccine. From January 10, India started administering the precautionary dose of Covid-19 vaccine for healthcare workers, frontline workers and people aged 60 and above with co-morbidities. While the third dose – as per the Union health ministry is the same vaccine that people have received for their first and second doses, there is limited data on which vaccine should be used as a third dose.
Study on the mixing of Covishield and Covaxin – two of the main vaccines used in India is underway – at Christian Medical College, Vellore. “The analysis should hopefully be completed by next week and preliminary data will be presented to the Data Safety Monitoring Board,” leading virologist and Professor at CMC, Vellore Gagandeep Kang said.

“We are in too much of a hurry for boosters. I have no problem with the precautionary dose where there can be marginal potential benefits. However, we need to use the time to understand what the best booster doses could be,” Prof Kang said. While the virologist admitted that they had been urging for a booster dose study since the beginning of last year, at Christian Medical College Vellore, they could eventually commence the study in September 2021. “From the rest of the world, it is clear that what was the high risk group before we started vaccination is still the same high risk group after we have started with immunisation – the elderly , with comorbidities and immunocompromised. The risk has reduced due to vaccination but among all the vaccinated this age group continues to be at the highest risk and hence, the precautionary dose has been given to those at highest risk of exposure and severe disease. But is there a reason to vaccinate the rest of the population. There is evidence that a booster dose is needed but we do not have enough data,” Prof Kang said.

According to infectious diseases expert Dr Sanjay Pujari, global data indicates that boosters are needed for preventing severe illness. “A study from the University of Sweded on February 4 this year states their findings have important clinical implications, as they strengthen the evidence-based rationale for administration of a third vaccine dose as a booster, especially to specific high-risk populations,” he said.

With no plans to expand the eligibility for boosters, top sources close to the Union health ministry’s Covid task groups across various states have said that the current thinking is on expanding paediatric vaccination between 12-15 age group. However, market privatisation of vaccines is unlikely.
According to Dr Arora, Zydus Cadila has delivered the first tranche of 1.5 lakh doses of its Zy-CoV-D vaccine. This will be sufficient for 50,000 people, mainly adults. “We will first administer the vaccine to adults and then wait for feedback before taking a decision on the paediatric group,” Dr Arora said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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