The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of  India’s drug regulator — the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) — will hold its first meeting on the Covid-19 booster dose today.  The decisions of the committee on the technical aspects of the booster dose will influence the national policy, particularly the preferred groups eligible for the booster dose and the other criteria. 

The country, which reported 9,419 new Covid-19 cases and 159 deaths in the past 24 hours, has an active caseload of 94,742 currently. As the threat of new infections by Omicron variant is looming large, all Indian states have been strengthening their preparedness to meet Covid-19 emergencies.