Number of Omicron cases increasing rapidly, but there is no need to panic: NK Arora Chair, India’s COVID-19 working group

The purpose of an additional booster dose is for different objectives. Additional doses are usually offered to those who are likely to have inadequate protective response due to immune suppression or an immune-compromised state.

Teena Thacker
  • Published On Jan 3, 2022 at 10:45 AM IST
NK Arora, chair of India’s Covid-19 working group, believes that the increased gap between Covishield doses has meant higher efficacy. In an interview to ET’s Teena Thackerhe said efforts in India are ongoing to develop a panCorona vaccine. Edited excerpts:

Will India allow the same vaccines as boosters or go for mix and match? In the absence of local data, will the decision be taken based on international studies?
The purpose of an additional booster dose is for different objectives. Additional doses are usually offered to those who are likely to have inadequate protective response due to immune suppression or an immune-compromised state. The elderly with co-morbidities are also likely to have similar requirements. An additional dose helps in reducing the possibilities of a severe disease. The purpose of boosters is to reduce the risk of infection and even mild disease. The studies to assess the protective effectiveness of Covaxin and Covishield against Omicron in the background of the high prevalence of Covid-19 infection are underway and the findings will be available soon.

Advt
If the scientific community believes that those who have received Covishied should get Covaxin as booster doses, then the manufacturing supplies will be short. How are we going to tackle the situation?
Vaccine availability is not a challenge. Sufficient doses of all the vaccines are available to fulfil the requirements as per the eligibility of the beneficiaries for the precautionary doses. During the last couple of days, two new vaccines namely Corbevax and Covovax have also been given emergency use authorisation.

If mRNA vaccines work better as booster shots, are we doing anything to fast-track the Gennova vaccine?
Indian mRNA vaccine (Gennova) phase-3 trial is underway.

A pan-Covid-19 vaccine is on the anvil and is expected to deal with all variants. Is India looking at something like this?
RNA viruses keep mutating at all times and most of the time it is not possible to predict the next mutation. The efforts for developing a pan-Corona vaccine is on in India as well.

Do you think that the gap Covishield has worked as a booster?
We have maintained the interval of 3-4 months between two doses and the national test positivity rate has been gradually coming down as the vaccine coverage increased across the country. We, however, will have to maintain vigil as the Omicron variant spreads across the different states.

Advt
Why are we not considering importing Pfizer and Moderna vaccines?
India has arange of Covid vaccines developed and manufactured in India including the world’s first DNA vaccine. Sufficient doses of different vaccines are available. The most recent additions are Corbevax and Covovax.

We will start giving additional doses from January 10. Does that mean that we will have to stop supplies to the Covax facility?
India has sufficient vaccines to fulfil all its requirements and also fulfil international obligations.

Do you think children younger than 15 years don't need vaccination? Are we not posing a danger to others as a big chunk (of children) remains unvaccinated?
Adolescents aged 15-18 years almost behave like adults and during the last two years, the risk of severe disease, need for hospitalization and deaths have been maximum in this age group out of all the paediatric population.

Are you expecting a third wave?
Observation of the last 2-3 weeks clearly shows that there is a rapid rise of cases in several states. Genomic sequencing is also showing the proportion of Omicron is increasing rapidly. Having said this, there is no need to panic; the health system has geared itself to handle any surge of cases.
  • Published On Jan 3, 2022 at 10:45 AM IST
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