Can COVID-19 booster shot be effective against new Omicron variant? Here’s what Odisha health official says

Bhubaneswar: Precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccines will be effective against new sub-variant of highly infectious Omicron, said Odisha Health & Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi.

People, who have already taken the precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccines, are protected from getting infected with Omicron’s new sub-variant BF.7 strain that is causing havoc in China. The highly transmissible virus has been detected in India recently, he said.

Giving details about Covid vaccination drive, he said that the free vaccination against the deadly virus has been paused in government hospitals.

“We will write to the Centre requesting to supply Covid vaccines to the state after a high-level meeting scheduled today. So far, 8.14 crore vaccines have been administered to beneficiaries in Odisha. While 97% beneficiaries have been taken first dose, the second dose has been administered to 94% population and 41% people have been given the precaution shot. As many as 25 lakh beneficiaries have not taken their second dose of Covid vaccines,” Panigrahi said.

“Currently, there is no availability of any Covid vaccine in Odisha. However, the Government is prepared to curb the spread of infection caused by new Omicron variant,” he added.

Meanwhile, the vaccination is underway at 12 private hospitals in Odisha. Around 16.17 lakh vaccines had been ordered from outside the state.

As per official report, the performance of Odisha in carrying out the vaccination drive is upto the mark. The booster dose of Covid 19 will be able to curb the spread of new variant, he further said.