Our record on vaccine booster shots for Covid is pathetic: Virologist

'Every crack will be used by virus to spread', says T Jacob John, a former professor of Vellore's Christian Medical College

Covid-19 cases are rising again in India; the daily positivity rate is at 2.73 per cent, and several states are reporting fresh infections. T Jacob John, a renowned virologist and former professor at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, told Ruchika Chitravanshi in an interview the country should promote booster doses and collect data on rising infections.

Here are edited excerpts from the interview conducted over the phone.

Is the recent rise in Covid-19 cases due to waning immunity?

We need data on people who are getting the disease and their immunity level. There is no advantage in saying that immunity