New Delhi: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday told the Lok Sabha the country’s scientists and experts are studying the new variant of Covid-19, Omicron.
He said that relevant steps would be taken, once all the facts were revealed.
Replying to a supplementary question during the Question Hour, Mandaviya asked what was the situation of Omicron in other countries? What was being done there? What were the symptoms in the patients here? Were they still being studied?
“Corona constantly changes its form. There are 36 laboratories in the country for genome sequencing. In these, 30,000 genome sequencing can be done. This capacity is also being increased by using private laboratories,” he said.
On the question as to how effective the vaccine is on the new variant, Mandaviya said that it is being studied in the laboratory. He added that only after the report comes it can be established how effective the vaccine is on this variant.
He said the symptoms in Omicron patients in India were still being studied.
On the question of allowing a booster dose, the Health Minister said, “We want full vaccination done as soon as possible. In India, 86 per cent of the population has been given the first dose of vaccine. We are in a very good position compared to other countries. When experts give permission, we will allow a booster dose.”
Mandaviya said Coronavirus constantly changes its form, and responding to the question of health effects of the Corona vaccine, he said that vaccines were approved only after many trials, studies and trials. Nothing can be said about the vaccine without facts because this will cause unnecessary hesitation among people about the vaccine, he added.
