The government recently agreed to the advice of the Covid-19 Working Group to stretch the time between two doses of the Covishield vaccine from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks. The dose time for Covaxin, on the other hand, has not improved and stands at four weeks.
Since the first dose of Covishield will develop a high immunity, the decision to extend the time between two doses of Covishield was made.
The immunity after the first dose of Covishield was found to be high, according to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) head Dr. Balram Bhargava, and the three-month gap would provide the best results, according to a study in the Times of India.
The level of immunity developed after the first dose of Covaxin, on the other hand, is not as high, and “this means the second dose should be taken after four weeks to ensure maximum effectiveness,” according to the study.
The DGCI has licensed three vaccines for emergency use in the country: Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V. Bharat Biotech, a biotechnology company headquartered in Hyderabad, produces Covaxin, an indigenous vaccine.
Covishield, the local variant of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in Pune. Dr. Reddy has authorized the import of Sputnik V from Russia, but it is not yet commonly available in the region.
Covishield is created from a chimp poop adenovirus that has been genetically modified to prevent it from growing in humans. Before the recent rise, the interval between two Covishield doses was 6-8 weeks.
According to research, the time between two Covishield doses was originally 4-6 weeks, but as further evidence became available and secondary analyses revealed, raising the dosage range to 4-8 weeks may have some benefit. Based on the available real-life data, the Covid-19 Working Group recommended that the period be extended to 12-16 weeks. This is a complex judgment, according to the party, and it is part of a periodic analysis.
Niti Aayog (health) member VK Paul said that the efficacy of the vaccine will be affected with this extension, adding that the efficacy is so good even after the single dose “it is not a problem at all”.
