Govt examining booster dose requirement as 'R' number spikes in 4 states

R number shows how many people an infected person infects, or how efficiently a virus is spreading. In some states this number is more than one, which means transmission can increase rapidly

Amid concerns over rising reproduction or the R number in four states including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the government is examining the possibility of a booster dose of Covid vaccine.

The national expert group on vaccination administration for Covid (NEGVAC) is discussing the possibility of giving a booster dose, V K Paul, member-health Niti Aayog and chairman of the national covid task force said. “We are closely watching the need for such imperatives. Science on this matter is still emerging, although the WHO has called for a moratorium on booster doses,” Paul said.

Amid the widening