The clamour for a Covid-19 booster dose got a shot in the arm with top Indian genome scientists recommending a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines for those above 40 years with preference to high-risk and high-exposure population.

The recommendation was made in the weekly bulletin of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG), a network of national testing labs set up by the government to monitor genomic variations of Covid-19.

The INSACOG said genomic surveillance will be critical for early detection of the presence of the Omicron variant, to enable necessary public health measures.

It also recommended monitoring travel to and from the known affected areas, and contact tracing of Covid-19 cases with an epidemiological link to the affected areas.  

"Vaccination of all remaining unvaccinated at-risk people and consideration of a booster dose for those 40 years of age and over, first targeting the most high-risk / high-exposure may be considered, since low levels of neutralising antibodies from current vaccines are unlikely to be sufficient to neutralise Omicron, although risk of severe disease is still likely to be reduced," it said.

A few days ago, Serum Institute of India had submitted an application to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), for approving Cpvishield booster dose.

Prakash Kumar Singh, the Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) cited that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has already approved the booster dose of AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, they said.

"People of our country as well as citizens of other countries who have already been fully vaccinated with two doses of Covishield are also continuously requesting our firm for booster dose,” an official source quoted Singh as having said in the application on Tuesday.

"You are aware that now there is no shortage of Covishield in our country and the demand for a booster dose is increasing day by day from the people who have already taken two doses in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of new strains.”

Recently, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh have urged the Centre to decide on allowing booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine diseased amid concerns raised by 'Omicron', the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.