India reports first Omicron cases, no plan to authorise boosters

FILE PHOTO: Students apply finishing touches to paintings made to create an awareness against the new coronavirus Omicron variant, in Mumbai, India, November 29, 2021. REUTERS/Niharika Kulkarni

BENGALURU (Reuters) - India reported its first two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant on Thursday but the government said it had no immediate plan to authorise booster vaccine shots despite demands from lawmakers.

The federal health ministry said two male patients with the new strain, aged 66 and 46 years, had shown mild symptoms.