New Delhi: The central government is once again considering narrowing the gap between two doses of the Covishield vaccine, but this time only for those above the 45 years age group. After a lot of criticism for extending the dosage gap to three months being related to vaccine shortage, the government is planning to revise its decision and lower the gap to two to four weeks, Covid-19 working group chairman Dr NK Arora told Mint in an interview. The current gap between two doses of Covishield is 12-16 weeks.
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI), which is slated for a meeting next week, said that it may decide on the dosage interval in the next fortnight to a month after reviewing the scientific data collected by it.
“In two to four weeks, we may decide on reducing the dosage interval of Covishield, especially for those above 45 years and elderly based on final scientific evidence,” Arora told Mint.
On May 13, India extended the wait time between the first and second doses of Covishield, manufactured by Serum Institute, to 12-16 weeks. However, the country’s vaccine advisors have been hesitant to reduce the gap alongside the UK. The current dose gap provides sufficient time for India’s population to get their first dose.
The government had, however, said that they will be looking into the available evidence for the next two to three months and will reconsider the interval if needed.