Third vaccine dose for frontline workers, senior citizens from today

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is starting to administer the third dose of vaccine, also known as the booster dose, from January 10. This dose will only be given to frontline workers, healthcare workers and immune-compromised persons.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it last month when the Omicron cases were rising. The new variant has further spread to several states and cities, however, the hospitalization rate is quite low. Many people are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

The health ministry is calling it a precautionary dose and every individual who is eligible for it doesn’t need to register on the Co-WIN website or application for it. They can walk in for it in their nearest health centre and get it administered.

The health experts are divided on the question of administering booster doses too. A section of experts believes that the Omicron variant is mild and it works like a vaccine itself so there is no need to give a booster dose to anyone.

The available shreds of evidence also go in favour of these experts as it looks like the Omicron is infecting but not causing such a serious health issue that a person can land in a hospital. More than 85 per cent of people don’t have any symptoms. Rest have symptoms like running nose, headache, body ache etc.

On the other hand, some health experts are of the view that a booster dose is needed for senior citizens and those people whose immunity is compromised due to any disease that they are suffering from.