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Holds promise: ICMR on trial results of third dose of Covaxin
The medical research body in its tweet further highlighted the benefits of getting Covaxin's precautionary dose.
A day after Bharat Biotech released the trial results of the safety and immunogenicity of its Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ as a booster shot, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Sunday affirmed the findings.
"Third dose of COVAXIN holds promise," the ICMR wrote on Twitter.
The medical research body in its tweet further highlighted the benefits of getting Covaxin's precautionary dose.
It said, "Reassuring information on safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose of Covaxin administered six months after completion of a two dose primary vaccination series with Covaxin."
"Good neutralising antibody titre detected against homologous and heterologous SARS-CoV 2 variants following booster. Reactogenicity in both vaccine and placebo arm of the trial was minimal and comparable. No serious adverse events were reported," the tweet added.
Also read | Covid-19 ‘precautionary’ dose: Facility to schedule third vaccine shot opens
This also came a day before the country starts administering 'precaution' doses of Covid-19 vaccines to frontline workers, healthcare workers and senior citizens with co-morbidities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address on December 25, 2021, announced precaution doses for healthcare and frontline workers from January 10, and Covid-19 jabs for the teenagers aged 15-18 years.
"This has been done in the light of the amount of time that the frontline workers and health care workers spend in the service of Covid-19 infected patients. In India, this has been called 'precaution dose', not booster dose. The decision on precaution dose will strengthen the confidence of healthcare and frontline workers," the Prime Minister's office said.
The Prime Minister also announced that the option of precaution dose will be available to senior citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities on the advice of their doctors.
(With agency inputs)
