Increase the gap between two doses of Serum Institute of India’s Oxford Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ to 12-16 weeks, an Indian government panel has recommended.
Currently, the interval between two doses of Covishield is four to eight weeks.
No change in dosage interval for Covaxin was suggested by the panel.
Those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are waiting to take the vaccine should defer vaccination for six months after recovery, the Indian National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended.
The government panel said those having laboratory test-proven SARS-CoV-2 illness should defer Covid-19 vaccination for six months after recovery.
Pregnant women may be offered the choice to take any Covid-19 vaccine and that lactating women can be inoculated any time after delivery, the central government panel added.
As per sources, the panel said that pregnant women may be offered a choice to take any Covid-19 vaccine and added that lactating women are eligible for jabs any time after delivery.
The recommendations of the NTAGI will be sent to the National Expert Group on Vaccine Adminstration for Covid-19.
The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s indigenously developed Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield are currently being used in India’s inoculation drive against the coronavirus.(India Today)
