What you need to know before getting your booster shot 15^th February 2021

India faced the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2022. During these two years of resilience, we have controlled the spread of the virus with effective public health protocols. National and state lockdowns, social distancing, and mandatory face masks have contained the infection rate. Last year, introducing the various COVID-19 vaccines tremendously helped build strong immunity against the deadly virus.

Vaccination against the COVID-19 virus has proved to be an essential tool in helping effectively manage the pandemic. Fully vaccinated people are relatively well-protected against a severe coronavirus infection, complications, and mortality. However, even effective vaccines become less viable over time. Intensive research suggests that vaccinations lose some of their power over time. It has been found that eventually receiving another vaccine shot after a few months can help highly boost the vaccine's effectiveness. This additional shot is called the booster shot.

Receiving both vaccine doses is the first and foremost integral step to building a strong enough immunity to control the infection rate. While the vaccines are deemed safe and effective, and everyone has been advised to get the jab at the earliest, several members of the Indian population have still not been vaccinated. Before considering the booster shot, the goal is to vaccinate the country's entire population to build herd immunity.

Here is some information to know before getting your booster shot:

1. The booster doses have been rolled out from Jan 10th, 2022. They will initially be administered to the front-line workers and adults aged 60 and above with comorbidities.

2. The booster is given 9 months or 39 weeks after administering the second dose of COVID Vaccine as per the guidelines.

3. The vaccine's side effects are reportedly similar to the previous doses, including fever, body and muscle pains, headache, pain, or swelling at the injection site.

4. Unlike other countries, Indians are advised to get the booster from the company as their previous vaccine doses and not mix any other. Citizens who have taken two shots of Covishield must take the Covishield booster shot only, and those who have taken Covaxin should go for the Covaxin booster shot. Do not take the alternate vaccine as it might create a complication.

5. The first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine boost our body's immune system. With these shots, memory cells that remember the virus are produced to help in case of an infection. The number of these cells increases with the second dose and helps fight the infection.

When these memory cells are challenged with a booster, they induce a robust immune response. As a result, the booster shot produces more antibodies that have an increased potency to fight the virus.

While taking the vaccines is integral to stay safe from the virus, one must remain vigilant and follow the safety protocol. Vaccination alone is not enough to fight the pandemic and the constantly emerging variants. In these challenging times, prioritising health is paramount. Remember to renew health insurance online or simply contact your insurance company to ensure your safe future.

Apart from maintaining your health insurance, you must indulge in healthy activities like yoga and vigorously consume a nourishing diet to combat any health ailment or infection.

Click HERE to renew health insurance online.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.