Govt Wants You to Get Booster as China Covid Rises. Why It's Important & How to Get 3rd Vaccine Shot

Ever since India began providing booster vaccination shots, the numbers have remained lower compared to the people who have taken their necessitated two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Now, as the virus surges again in China and other countries, Indian officials have been asked to promote booster shots again.

What is the booster shot and why is it important? News18 explains:

A Third Dose

When it comes to getting vaccinated against a disease like COVID-19, booster shots can be a standard part of the procedure.

The term “booster” refers to an additional dose of a vaccine given after the initial (or primary) dose. According to Sandy Salverson, PharmD, vice president of Pharmacy Operations at OSF HealthCare, these boosters can occur weeks, months, or years later.

“Most adults recall having to get a booster shot for a childhood disease like measles, whooping cough, or meningitis. Or for a disease like tetanus, where booster shots are recommended every ten years as the original immunity deteriorates,” Sandy explained.

How Does this Help?

Some vaccines are administered with the original (or primary) dose followed by a booster dose. The original dose primes the immune system to recognise and produce antibodies against the virus against which it was designed to defend.

Booster shots are given to the body’s immune system to remind it of the virus it needs to defend against. This strengthens or boosts the immune system.

Covid boosters are also said to be extremely helpful for risk groups – the elderly or those with immunity compromising diseases.

How Can I Get a Covid Booster in India?

You can check your nearest health care centre or private health facility for availability of doses. In India, the same Covid-19 vaccine is administered as your primary and secondary dose.

How Long from My Second Dose Do I Need to Wait to Get a Booster?

The Union health ministry had earlier reduced the time between the second and precautionary third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from nine months to six months on July 6, 2022.

So, you need to wait six months from your second dose to get your third or booster dose. You can get it at any time after the completion of those six months.

Following the Centre’s meeting on Wednesday, Niti Aayog’s VK Paul informed that only 27-28% of India’s population had received the booster dose to date. He emphasised the importance of taking precautionary measures as cases rise alarmingly around the world.

“Only 27-28% of people took the precautionary dose. We urge others, particularly senior citizens, to exercise caution. “Everyone is required to take precautions and is advised to do so,” Dr Paul stated.

Steps to Get the Booster Shot

• Open the Co-Win portal to find a booster dose centre near you.
• Scroll down to ‘Find Your Nearest Vaccination Center.’
• You can search by district, PIN code, or map.
• For district, enter the name of the state and the name of the district, then click search.
• You must enter your desired PIN Code for PIN Code and can look up vaccination centres nearby.
• You must manually locate yourself on the interactive map for the Search in Map method, and the portal will immediately show you the nearest vaccination centres.
• Another way to find nearby vaccination centres is to log in with your registered phone number.
• On the homepage, click the sign in button.
• Place your registered phone number here.
• Input the OTP received on that phone number.
• In the new window, click the ‘Schedule appointment’ button.
• In the new window, you can search for the nearest vaccination centre based on your location and book an appointment right away.

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