SECRET BOOSTER DOSE: But only for the privileged

Kumaran P. | NT Bengaluru. Nov. 1

Millions of vulnerable citizens  await the Indian government’s de- cision on the booster dose rollout,  with new research establishing  that they are necessary. In Karna- taka, however, Dr M.K. Sudarshan,  member of the State Expert Com- mittee to GoK has made an explo- sive discovery, shared exclusively  with News Trail. Health profes- sionals in Karnataka are making  full use of the leftover stocks ly- ing in hospitals and have secretly  taken a third vaccine as a ‘booster  dose’.

“This is being done by doc- tors without any COWIN registra- tion, records or certifications,” Dr  Sudarshan said. He specified that there are no  guidelines yet by the National Ex- pert Group on Vaccination (NEG- VAC), which is researching the  utility of the third dose and is yet to give the go-ahead regarding the third dose for people. However, there are concerns whether it is safe to take the third  dose without a detailed study, Su- darshan said, adding, “To date,  there have been no mishaps re- ported and hence it is mostly safe.”

 Dr Naushad Ahmed, a senior cardiologist from the city told this  newspaper: “Doctors who are cau- tious and were in the frontline dur- ing the Covid-19 pandemic have  taken the third dose. The reason is, they took their first dose between March and April and the second  dose by May.

These doctors have taken the third dose as a booster dose. Some of them have checked their antibody levels and if it was good, they have not taken the booster dose.”