BackExpert body recommends reducing gap between two doses of Covishield: Report
Presently, the second dose of Covishield is given between 12-16 weeks after the first dose under the National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy
PremiumThe second dose of Covid-19 vaccine Covishield can be administered between eight to 16 weeks after the first shot, India's apex body on immunisation NTAGI has recommended, reported PTI.
Quoting sources, the news agency stated on Sunday that the decision is based on global scientific evidence.
"The latest recommendation of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is based on recent global scientific evidence derived from programmatic data," a source was quoted as saying.
"According to it, when the second dose of Covishield is given eight weeks onwards, the antibody response generated is almost similar when administered at an interval of 12 to 16 weeks," they added.
Presently, the second dose of Covishield is given between 12-16 weeks after the first dose under the National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy.
The decision of a reduced span between the two doses will lead to accelerated administration of the second shot of dose of Covishield to the remaining six to seven crore individuals.
The NTAGI has not yet suggested any change in the schedule of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, whose second dose is administered 28 days after the first dose.
The government had on 13 May 2021 extended the gap between the first and second doses of the Covishield vaccine from six to eight weeks to 12-16 weeks, based on the recommendations by NTAGI.
NTAGI provides guidance and advice to the Union health ministry on immunisation services for the effective control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the company producing Covishield, had last month asked Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to reduce the gap between the second Covid dose and the third precautionary dose to three months.
Meanwhile, the cumulative Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed 181.19 crore on Saturday.
Over 16 lakh (16,76,515) Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the 12-14 years age group so far.
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