The Union health ministry said on Wednesday it will not mix and match Covid-19 vaccines for the third precautionary dose.

VK Paul, member, health, Niti Aayog, and head of the Covid-19 task force,  said those above the age of 60 and with co-morbidities as well as health workers who received Covishield will get a third dose of the same vaccine, while those who were administered Covaxin will get a dose of that vaccine.

The other vaccines approved so far — Corbevax from Biological E, ZyCov-D from Zydus Cadila and Serum Institute of India’s Covovax — will not be part of the third dose regime as of now.

On the advance order given to Biological E for 30 crore Corbevax doses, Paul said this option will continue to be available, and that the company has applied for using the vaccine as booster and paediatric doses. If the country does not need these doses, the stockpile will be available for exports, Paul said.

The country will start administering the third dose from January 10 and for now it will be restricted to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above the age of 60 and with co-morbidities. The government approved the third dose to deal with the surge in Covid-19 cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant. The third dose will be given nine months after the second dose was administered.

India has administered 148.61 crore vaccine doses as of Wednesday evening. Those above the age of 60 have received around 22 crore doses, with 12.18 crore first doses and 9.65 crore second doses administered so far. Healthcare workers have received 1.03 crore first doses and 97.24 lakh second doses, while frontline workers have got 1.69 crore first doses and 85.11 lakh second doses.