India may have to update its COVID-19 booster shots with the latest strain of the coronavirus, similar to flu vaccines, according to renowned pulmonologist and former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria.
Speaking with News18.com, Guleria noted that the vaccines currently being used in India are based on the Wuhan strain or the strain that was circulating in December 2019, while the virus has since mutated significantly, with new strains such as alpha, beta, delta, and omicron emerging.
He warned that the efficacy of the vaccines against the latest strains may have declined significantly, and pointed out that countries such as the US and UK have already updated their vaccines to include both old and new strains. Flu vaccines are updated annually against the latest strain in the environment.
“By now, the strain of the virus has changed and evolved dramatically. From alpha, beta, delta to now omicron and its sub-lineages, the virus has mutated long back,” Guleria said.
Guleria, who is also the president of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bilaspur, cautioned that although Indian vaccines reported efficacy of 80-90 percent during trials, the effectiveness of these vaccines against the latest strain might have decreased significantly.
He further noted that the new strain of the virus has evolved dramatically, and flu vaccines are updated every year to incorporate the latest strain.
As India records a rise in
COVID-19 cases, Guleria advised people to exercise caution, especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions. He noted, however, that there is no need to create panic, just be more cautious.
According to government data, India reported 5,676 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, taking the active caseload to 37,093. The daily positivity rate stands at 2.88 percent, while the weekly positivity rate is at 3.81 percent.
Guleria attributed the surge in cases to a lack of COVID-appropriate behaviour among the public, mutation in the virus making it more infectious and changes in weather leading to more viral infections.
While Guleria acknowledged that the new XBB.1.16 variant could be one of the reasons driving the recent surge, he emphasized that there is no need to panic.
“If cases of infection will increase, chances of these vulnerable people getting the disease also increases,” he warned.
He suggested that updating vaccines with the latest strain could be a possible solution, but more data needs to be analyzed to determine its efficacy.
