Govt approves Corbevax as heterologous booster dose

August 11, 2022:

The government on Wednesday approved Biological E’s Corbevax Covid-19 vaccine as booster dose for adults.

This is the first time that a different vaccine dose is being permitted as a booster dose.

Adults vaccinated with either Covaxin or Covishield will now be allowed to take the Corbevax dose, six months or 26 weeks after administration of the second dose.

This is in addition to the Covishield and Covaxin approved as the homologous booster dose.

Corbevax is the only heterologous vaccine approved for booster dose.

Union health secretary, Rajesh Bhushan has written to all states and union territories to take note of the change and administer the vaccine to those who are eligible and due for booster doses.

The Corbevax option would go live on the CoWin vaccine portal from August 12, Bhushan said.

There will be no change in existing guidelines for homologous precaution dose administration of Covaxin and Covishield, he said.

The country has administered 2.07 billion doses till Wednesday evening.

Bhushan said around 97% of the 12-plus age group in the country had received their first dose and 89% had been covered by both doses.

A total of 113 million precautionary doses have been administered in the country. Financial Express