Lok Sabha Question No. 2086 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Policy on Booster Dose of COVID Vaccine
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi, Abdul Majeed Ariff, Sunil Kumar Singh, Sanjay Jaiswal, S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2086 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th  DECEMBER 2021

## POLICY ON BOOSTER DOSE OF COVID VACCINE

## 2086. SHRI ASADDUDDIN OWAISI

ADV. A. M. ARIFF SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH DR. SANJAY JAISWAL SHRI S. VENKATESAN

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) The measures taken by the Government to expedite the process of COVID-19 vaccination in States/UTs
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  announced  any  policy  for  booster  dose  for  COVID-19 vaccine, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  survey  or  studies  to  assess  the  necessity  and effectiveness of the dose, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether Government is aware that some countries have conducted their assessments and are preparing to administer booster dose for COVID-19, if so the details thereof; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  or  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  administering  booster  dose  after vaccination of both the doses across the country; and
- (f) whether the Government has instituted any study on vaccinating the individuals with two different vaccines in first and second dose, if so details thereof and the outcome thereon?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (f) Government of India has been regularly reviewing the pace of COVID-19 vaccination and has  issued  multiple  advisories  to  States/UTs  to  cover  eligible  beneficiaries  with  both  doses  of COVID-19 vaccine. Government of India has also undertaken 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign from 3 rd November 2021 wherein missed beneficiaries  for  1 st dose  and  due  beneficiaries  for  2 nd dose  are identified and vaccinated through house-to-house activity. Adequate quantity of vaccine doses have been made available to all States/UTs to vaccinate all eligible 1 st dose and due 2 nd dose beneficiaries aged 18 years and above.

National  Expert  Group  on  vaccine  administration  for  Covid  (NEGVAC)  and  National  Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) are deliberating and considering scientific evidences related to justification for booster dose.

As per the information  available  on  www.ourworldindata.org,  more  than  60  countries  across  the World are providing booster doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

National  Regulator  i.e. Central  Drugs  Standard  Control  Organization  (CDSCO)  has  granted permissions to following firms for conduct of clinical trials for administration of booster dose:

1. M/s  Bharat  Biotech  for  administration  of  booster  dose  in  Phase  II  part  of  ongoing  Phase  I/II clinical trial of Whole Virion Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine.
2. M/s Biological E for conduct of Phase II/III clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine containing Receptor  Binding  Domain  of  SARS-CoV-2  (RBD  antigen  of  SARS  CoV-2  (Covid-19) [CORBEVAX] which also includes study of administration of booster dose.

National  Regulator  i.e. Central  Drugs  Standard  Control  Organization  (CDSCO)  has  granted permissions  to  following  firms  for  conduct  of  clinical  trials  for  administration  of  mixed  vaccine regimen:

1. M/s Christian Medical College, Vellore to conduct Phase IV study with COVISHIELD of M/s Serum and COVAXIN of M/s Bharat Biotech to compare immunogenicity of mixed vaccine regimen.
2. M/s  Bharat  Biotech  for  Phase  II  clinical  trial  to  evaluate  the  immunogenicity  and  safety  of BBV152 (COVAXIN) with BBV154 (Adenoviral Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine).

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