Strict compliance, booster shots – Centre’s strategy to deal with Omicron

India on Thursday said that two cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus had been discovered in Karnataka. 

The government said the symptoms are mild as of now. “In the cases of Omicron detected in the country, we are not seeing any severe symptoms,” Luv Aggarwal, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said. 

This is in line with data emerging from other countries that while Omicron is found to be more transmissible, those affected exhibit mild symptoms.

The director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Dr Balram Bhargava, said that it is premature to comment on the effectiveness of available vaccines against the new variant.

Also read: Omicron threat: Will high seroprevalence help Indians? What experts say

“Scientific understanding is that whole-killed virion-based vaccine (Covaxin) may have a wider antigenic presentation and the broad spectrum of effect against the new emergent variants,” he said. “But we have detected only two Omicron cases and unless we isolate the virus, culture the virus, and test the virus in a laboratory setting — it is premature to comment on the effectiveness of the vaccine.”

The head of India’s COVID-19 task-force, Dr V K Paul, said vaccine manufacturers are also examining the issue of vaccine efficacy.

Centre’s Plan

The Centre has said that emphasis should be on strict compliance with anti-COVID measures.

“COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is required. Use of masks, hand hygiene, and not going to mass gatherings will help break the chain of transmission of Omicron,” Bhargava said.

Paul said that vaccination continues to remain “the most critical tool” in the fight against the pandemic. 

“We are fortunate that we have that tool in abundance. There is no doubt we have to increase the coverage of vaccination. At this point, science tells us that we have to use vaccines. The new variant may dent the efficacy of the vaccine, to some extent; we said the same thing about Delta. It does not matter. We need to look at the big picture. Through full vaccination, we need to protect every individual. We cannot have any backlog of the second dose,” Paul said.

Booster Doses

The Centre also said that scientific reasoning for providing booster doses is “under examination”, but the focus is to fully vaccinate the population first.

“We are still learning about the characteristics of Omicron and its impact. Not only in India but also abroad. Diagnostic tests are working. Vaccination has to be pushed because it is protective. That is the information we have. When new information emerges, we will look into it. We are closely studying the imperatives of a booster dose. It is an ongoing exercise in our technical and scientific circles. All that is being carefully examined. As the situation unfolds and more scientific evidence emerges (on Omicron), we will take decisions in the future,” Paul said.