Interval of Covishield first and second dose revised to 6-8 weeks
The recommendation has been revised to provide the second dose of Covishield 6-8 weeks after the 1st dose, instead of the earlier interval of 4-6 weeks.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 22 March 2021 10:25 AM GMT
Hyderabad: In view of emerging scientific evidence, the interval between two doses of Covishield vaccine has been revised by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and subsequently by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in their 20th meeting.
During the meeting, the recommendation has been revised to provide the second dose of Covishield 6-8 weeks after the 1st dose, instead of the earlier interval of 4-6 weeks. This decision of the revised time interval between two doses is applicable only to Covishield and not to the Covaxin vaccine.
In a letter written by the Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan to the chief secretaries of states and the UTs on Monday, he noted that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has accepted the recommendations of NTAGI and NEGVAC and has thereafter advised the states and the UTs to ensure the administration of the second dose of Covishield to beneficiaries within this stipulated time interval of 6-8 weeks after the first dose.
"Keeping the existing scientific evidence in view, it appears that the protection is enhanced if the second dose of Covishield is administered between 6-8 weeks, but no later than 8 weeks," said Rajesh Bhushan.
The health secretary has urged the states and the UTs to instruct the officials concerned to undertake necessary steps to widely disseminate the message of revised dosing interval among programme managers, vaccinators and recipients of Covishield vaccine and ensure adherence to the same.
