India said that the COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax can be administered as a booster dose in people who have taken the country's other two main shots, Covaxin and Covishield, from Friday.
Biological E's Corbevax will be available to over 18s as precautionary booster six months after a second dose, the health ministry said in an August 8 letter to state authorities and shared with reporters on Wednesday.
Covishield is produced for the Indian market by the Serum Institute of India under licence from AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech makes Covaxin.
India has so far administered more than 2 billion COVID vaccine shots, including 113 million boosters, all of which have so far been of the same vaccine as the recipient's first two doses.
The government says about 89 per cent of people above the age of 12 have had two doses.
The country of nearly 1.4 billion people has documented more than 44 million coronavirus infections and 526,826 related deaths.
The actual numbers are believed to be many times higher.
President Donald Trump has announced on Thursday that the US and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but Iran countered that it had not reached a final decision on an agreement.
Two people have been killed and another 10 injured in a Ukraine attack on Russia's border region of Bryansk, Acting Regional Governor Yegor Kovalchuk said in a Telegram post late on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump called off plans for renewed military strikes on Iran at the last minute on Thursday, saying negotiations with Tehran had advanced to the highest levels of Iran's leadership and had been approved by a broad coalition of regional powers.
British defence minister John Healey has quit on Thursday over a months-long dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit the resources that are needed to keep the country safe from mounting threats.
A US jet fired two missiles into the engine room of the tanker Jalveer off Oman on Thursday, US Central Command confirmed, as authorities said the 20 crew members were safe after the third strike on Indian-crewed tankers this week.
British defence minister John Healey quit on Thursday in a dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit the government resources that are needed to defend the country at a time of heightened threat.
A false alarm at the Pentagon following an air quality warning briefly triggered a partial shelter-in-place order on Wednesday at the US military's headquarters, as first responders worked to rule out exposure to hazardous materials, officials said.
The United States will hit Iran "very hard tonight" and will soon take control of the Middle Eastern country's oil and gas infrastructure and markets, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
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Iran says no final decision made on deal
Two killed, 10 injured in Ukraine attack on Russia's border Bryansk region
Trump cancels US strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks
UK defence minister quits, says Starmer not spending enough to keep country safe
US confirms third strike on Indian-crewed tankers this week
UK defence minister Healey quits, says PM Starmer's plans fail to keep country safe
False alarm at the Pentagon triggers brief shelter-in-place order
Trump says US will hit Iran 'very hard', take control of energy infrastructure
