PremiumThe government on Thursday accepted the Covid-19 Working Group's recommendation for extending the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks.
"Based on the available real-life evidences, particularly from the UK, the Covid-19 Working Group agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine. No change in interval of Covaxin vaccine doses was recommended," the Union health ministry said.
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Premium Premium The present gap between two doses of Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, is 6 to 8 weeks. Widening of Covishield dosage intervals has been linked to increased efficacy.
"The recommendation of the COVID-19 Working Group was accepted by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC), headed by Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog, in its meeting on May 12, 2021," the ministry added.
It has accepted this recommendation of the COVID-19 Working Group of extension of the gap between the first and second doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks, the health ministry added.
A study published in the international medical journal The Lancet on February 19 claimed a 26.2% increase - from 55.1% to 81.3% - if doses were spaced 12 or more weeks apart.
However, no change has been suggested for the dosage interval for Covaxin, it said.
Covid-recovered must take vaccine after 6 months
Those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are waiting to take the vaccine should defer vaccination for six months after recovery, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended.
Also, Covid-19 patients who have been given monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma can defer vaccination for three months from the day they are out of hospital, the recommendations say.
Those with any other serious illness requiring hospitalisation or ICU care should also wait for four to eight weeks before getting the next vaccine.
All about the Covid-19 Working Group
The Covid-19 Working Group is chaired by Dr N K Arora, who is director at the INCLEN Trust.
Its members comprise Dr Rakesh Agarwal, Director and Dean, JIPMER, Puducherry; Dr Gagandeep Kang, professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore; Dr J P Mulliyal, former professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore; Dr Naveen Khanna, Group Leader, International Centre For Genetic Engineering And Biotechnology (ICGEB), JNU, New Delhi; Dr Amulya Panda, Director, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi; and Dr V G Somani, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
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