NEW DELHI: The DCGI has approved the use of Hyderabad - based Corbevax as a booster dose for Covid prevention. Corbevax can be given as a booster dose to those over 18 years of age who have taken two doses of Covishield and Covaxin.

Corbevax is the first such vaccine in India to be approved as a heterologous COVID-19 booster in the country. Till now, the same vaccine taken during the first two doses were used for booster dose. Corbevax can be booked through Cowin app. A dose can cost around Rs 400 in a private hospital.

The use of different vaccines by a person was not allowed in the country. With the DCGI approval of Corbevax, the government will have to consider whether it should be included in the nation's free vaccination drive. Corbevax was developed in collaboration with Hyderabad-based vaccine makers Biological E, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.