Amid rising concerns over the Omicron variant, a parliamentary committee has called for an evaluation of the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and suggested that the Union government should conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to keep the new strain in check.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health submitted its report on Friday and also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed.

With the second wave of COVID-19, which wreaked havoc in India, in mind, the committee noted that the measures taken by the health ministry to contain or prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 proved to be squarely inadequate and suggested that the focus should be on strengthening health infrastructure, ensuring adequate availability of beds, supply of oxygen cylinders and essential medicines.

‘Govt should strengthen public health infrastructure’

With the threat of a third wave looming around, the government should utilise the time in strengthening public health infrastructure, it said.

The report further said that, unlike the first wave which largely was restricted to urban areas where testing was introduced rapidly, the second wave largely spread through rural towns and villages.

The committee also said that there is a dire need for improving the geographical spread of testing facilities in rural regions of the country.

‘Adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy’

The Union health ministry must adopt a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and closely track cases across the country as a rise in mutations in the virus may lead to reporting of a more virulent and transmissible strain of the virus in India.

“The committee also noted that with the new strain of Covid, Omicron (B.1.1.529), exhibiting 30 plus mutations, tracking and testing facilities especially at airports must also be strengthened and rigorous testing and screening of travellers must be carried out,” PTI quoted the report as saying.