NEW DELHI: Ending the wait for those vaccinated with Sputnik V, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has approved the first dose of Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine as a precautionary dose, official sources said Saturday.
The government had not taken a call on providing a precaution dose to those jabbed with the Russian vaccine till now as the two doses have different compositions.
The Union health ministry also announced that India’s vaccination coverage had crossed the 189 crore landmark milestone on Saturday.
As the government is pushing for a booster dose for all those above 18 years, the latest approval will enable those who had taken the two Sputnik V vaccine doses way back in July last year.
According to the Cowin app, 12,23,334 people have taken the Sputnik V vaccine. The two doses of Sputnik V are administered at a gap of 21-30 days.
The first dose of the vaccine contains a recombinant adenovirus type 26 (rAd26-S), and the second dose a recombinant adenovirus 5 (rAd5-S).
NTAGI is the highest advisory body on immunisation in the country, consisting of independent experts who provide recommendations to the government after reviewing data on disease burden, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of vaccines. On Friday, the advisory body had also approved Serum Institute’s Covid-19 Covovax for the 12-17 age group. But, no decision was taken on vaccinating children below 12 years
The move was also taken as the union health ministry had received several representations over the precaution dose of Sputnik V.
An expert panel of India's central drug authority in March had recommended the permission for conducting a phase-3 clinical trial of Sputnik Light as a booster dose.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) February this year granted emergency use permission for Sputnik Light vaccine in India, subject to specific regulatory provisions.
The two-dose Sputnik V vaccine was granted approval by DCGI in April 2021 for restricted use in an emergency in India.
The government has allowed paid booster doses for those above 18 years at private vaccination centers. However, it provides free booster doses to those above 60 years, healthcare, and frontline workers.