India has reduced the gap between the second and third doses of the coronavirus vaccine from nine months to six months.
The decision, announced on Wednesday, was taken on the recommendation of the government’s expert committee. It is expected to expand coverage of the booster dose – or the precautionary amount as India calls it in the country.
India has given 48 million booster doses, only 5% of the eligible population.
The country launched a booster dose program in January for health care, frontline workers, and those who have been ill for nearly 60 years. It later expanded the drive to all adults. A vaccine program began in January for 15 to 18-year-olds and in March for 12 to 14-year-olds.
The country has given more than 1.98 billion doses since the vaccination campaign began in January 2021.
So far, India has reported around 43.5 million COVID cases, second only to the US, and about 524,600 deaths after the US and Brazil.
The country reports daily cases in the 18,000-mark as Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have seen a jump in daily active cases in the past few weeks. The federal government has asked states to increase virus surveillance, including random screening of travellers travelling from abroad.