Facebook Pixel Shot in the dark | Down To Earth – Science – Lesen Sie diese Geschichte auf Magzter.com

Versuchen GOLD - Frei

Shot in the dark

Down To Earth

|

May 01, 2022

India's precautionary dose rollout indicates that the world is reluctant to move beyond vaccines in the fight against COVID-19. How practical and viable is this booster-shot strategy?

- TARAN DEOL

Shot in the dark

0N APRIL 10, just as several states recorded fresh flareups of novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) following weeks of sharp decline in new cases, India extended access to a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults who have received the second shot nine months earlier. The vaccine, dubbed a precautionary dose, had been available to those above 60 years and healthcare workers since January 10, this year. With the announcement, India joins some 100 countries that have since July 2021 begun rolling out booster shots.

While India offers the vaccine used for primary shots as the precautionary dose, all other countries have allowed mix-and-match of vaccines based on data that shows this is safe and effective. Some also offer repeated booster shots. Israel rolled out a second booster dose in January, while the US has approved the same for those above 50.

Does this mean, the pandemic now enters the phase where frequent boosters will be needed? If yes, what is the magic number and how frequently should it be given? These are the questions health officials worldwide are scrambling to answer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had until January this year only urged for broader global access to primary and booster vaccine shots, but on March 8 it intensified its stance to “strongly support" the same. WHO's change instance came in the backdrop of emerging variants, breakthrough infections and data showing a steady decline of immunity among vaccinated individuals. A study published in New England Journal of Medicine in February 2022 finds that protection after two shots of Pfizer Inc's vaccine waned considerably after six months. Another study published in

WEITERE GESCHICHTEN VON Down To Earth

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

BEYOND COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Recent geopolitical conflicts are urging a reconsideration of what constitutes environmental harm in war and the limits of existing legal frameworks

time to read

3 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

Masterstroke

Residents of a small Kerala town reject an inadequate state-led development blueprint and create their own master plan that prioritises protection of historic water systems and urban commons

time to read

4 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

Rethinking E20

It is pertinent to explore potential of ethanol as high-value industrial feedstock

time to read

4 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Food in the age of climate change

WHEN WE eat, we contribute to climate change. But food is also about livelihoods, about nutrition and about nature.

time to read

3 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

FADING WINTER

India's winters are warming, becoming shorter, shifting and spilling beyond their traditional bounds. The consequences are already evident in meltwater availability, forest-fire intensity and changes in flowering cycles and insect behaviour.

time to read

20 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

War on Iran strikes India's pharmaceuticals sector

Shortages of critical raw materials and rising input costs for the drug industry will have global consequences

time to read

4 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

POWER IN AN AGE OF INSECURITY

Energy transition is no longer solely about emission reduction but also about energy security

time to read

3 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Re-discovery of fuelwood

THE WEST Asia conflict has made visible a multi-billion dollar energy market in India.

time to read

2 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

A CASE THAT RESHAPED INDIA'S ENVIRONMENT

The case of MC Mehta v Union of India stands as proof that a proactive judiciary can accelerate action even when the executive drags its feet

time to read

4 mins

April 01, 2026

Down To Earth

Down To Earth

FOREVER DEPENDENT

India depends on global fertiliser supply chains for 70 per cent of its needs, leaving its food security exposed to geopolitical disruptions

time to read

6 mins

April 01, 2026

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size