NEW DELHI: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that currently there are no guidelines on the administration of booster doses and the current priority of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to cover the entire eligible population with two full doses vaccination.
“The current priority of National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme is to cover the entire eligible population with full vaccination (two doses) and at present there are no guidelines on the administration of booster doses from the two expert bodies,” said an affidavit submitted before the Delhi High Court by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The affidavit submitted that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) and National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) are deliberating and considering scientific evidences related to dose schedule of COVID-19 vaccines as well as the need and justification of booster doses.
NTAGI and NEGVAC are two expert bodies working in tandem to guide the National COVID-19 vaccination programme.
While NTAGI examines the technical aspects like usage of different varieties of COVID Vaccines, interval between vaccine doses, contraindications etc. and recommend the same to NEGVAC, which in turn provides overall guidance and recommendations on all aspects of Covid- 19 vaccination to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
“The current knowledge about duration of immunity offered by Covid-19 vaccines in India is limited and will clearly be known over a period of time only,” it further added.
In an earlier hearing, a bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh had stressed upon the need and efficacy of the booster dose for those who have been vaccinated with both the shots.