Omicron spread: Booster vax to be same as first two doses, says govt

Daily positivity rate touches 5%; India reports first Omicron death

The booster dose, which the Centre is calling precautionary dose, will have to be the same as the first two Covid19 vaccine jabs, the health ministry announced on Wednesday ruling out a combination strategy for now. The drive for the third vaccine dose will take off on January 10, starting with healthcare and frontline workers as well as people over 60 years of age with comorbidities.            

The much-awaited announcement on booster dose coincided with India witnessing an exponential increase in cases. Daily infections have risen 6.3 times in the last eight days. The country reported