The omicron variant, which may well be now circulating in India given the sharp increase in positivity rates in many parts of the country, has shaken up the government’s approach to the vaccination programme. The government has announced that a booster dose would become available to sections of the population, and gave emergency use authorisations for two new vaccines and an antiviral pill. In this context, our lead editorial notes that the government must also ensure that it makes advance purchases on the right scale. There is now a real chance to accelerate the completion of India’s vaccination programme and