NEW DELHI:
India’s health ministry on Monday wrote to states asking them to administer second AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine doses,Covishield, to recipients within four to eight weeks, from the current guideline of four to six weeks.
“The recommendation has been revised to provide the 2nd dose of Covishield at 4-8 weeks’ interval after the 1st dose, instead of earlier practiced interval of 4-6 weeks,” the ministry said in a statement, using the brand name for the vaccine made locally by the Serum Institute of India.
This decision of revised interval between the two doses is applicable only on Covishield and not Covaxin, officials of the health ministry have clarified.
The new recommendations have said that the immunity is enhanced if the second dose of Covishield is administered after 6-8 weeks instead of the current 28 days’ gap.
Currently, the two doses of the Covishield vaccine are being administered across India with a gap of 28 days.
In view of the emerging scientific evidence, the interval between two doses of Covid-19 vaccine Covishield has been revisited by National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and subsequently by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in its 20th meeting.
In a letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to the Chief Secretaries of States/UTs on Monday, noting that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has accepted the recommendations of NTAGI and NEGVAC and has thereafter advised the States and UTs to ensure the administration of the second dose of Covishield to beneficiaries within this stipulated time interval of 4-8 weeks after the first dose.