NTAGI likely to consider Corbevax as booster for those vaccinated with Covishield, Covaxin

Allowing Biological E's Corbevax as a booster for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with either Covishield or Covaxin is likely to be considered by the NTAGI, which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, sources said.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on June 4 approved Corbevax as a precaution dose for those aged 18 and above. India's first indigenously-developed RBD protein subunit vaccine, Corbevax, is currently being used to inoculate children in the age group of 12 to 14 years.

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"The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) will discuss allowing Corbevax, which has been cleared by the DCGI, as a booster for those fully vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin," a source told PTI.

The government advisory panel is also expected to review the trial data of the country's first quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine against cervical cancer, developed by the Serum Institute of India.

A separate HPV working group of the NTAGI had, on June 8, examined the vaccine's clinical trial data and usefulness for inclusion in the national immunisation program, sources had said.

The recommendation of the Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the NTAGI on reducing the gap between the second dose and the precaution dose of Covid vaccines from nine to six months may also be ratified at the meeting to be chaired by the Union health secretary.