95% of Covid antibodies last over a year, says ICMR chief

NEW DELHI: Explaining why a discussion on booster doses is not “pertinent” at present, ICMR director General Dr Balram Bhargava said studies have found around 95% of antibodies generated through Covid vaccines persist for over a year.

“Currently, the talk of booster dose is not pertinent. The call of the hour is to give the two-dose vaccination, which we call full vaccination, covering the entire adult population. That has to be the goal and that is the agenda and that has to be continued,” Dr Bhargava said.

As of now, nearly 89 crore doses have been given across the country till Thursday.

The comments came in the wake of some experts calling for booster doses, mainly for healthcare workers who were among the first ones to receive the vaccine and continue to be at risk of infection. While studies are being undertaken to establish how long antibodies last, some countries are preparing to administer booster doses.