In a study published in the Research Square pre-print platform, 614 fully vaccinated health workers in India found a "significant" drop in their coronavirus fighting antibodies within four months of the first shot.
These findings could help the government decide whether to provide booster doses as some Western countries have done. However, this does not mean that immunized people lose their ability to counter the disease, as the body's memory cells may still kick in to offer substantial protection, said the director of a state-run institute that did the study.
However, the study is yet to be peer-reviewed. Moreover, it is one of the first such done in the country involving the two vaccines- Covishield, a licensed version of the AstraZeneca shot, and domestically developed Covaxin.
On the other hand, in recent developments, the United States is reportedly in talks with India in bilateral and multilateral channels in order to discuss the supply of vaccines for the coronavirus.
Moreover, it seeks to inquire about its timeline for restarting vaccine exports, a senior Biden administration official said. According to reports, the global pandemic will be a key topic on Sept. 24, when U.S. President Joe Biden will host the first in-person summit of leaders of the "Quad" countries - Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
In addition, the visit by Prime Ministers Scott Morrison, Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga to the United States will coincide with the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which Biden will address on Sept. 21.
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