COVID-19 Vaccine: 'We didn't recommend doubling of vaccine dosing gap', says Indian experts

The second wave of corona in the country has subsided. However, as the risk of a third wave persists, vaccination needs to be stepped up. However, due to shortage of vaccines, the country is not able to accelerate vaccination drive. The government decided to widen the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine a month ago, when there was a shortage of vaccines. However, the question is whether this decision was without the agreement of the scientific group.

On the advice of experts, the government had said it was extending the duration between the two doses of Covishield. However, three members of the advisory body told Reuters that they had not given any such advice to the Center. On May 13, the Union Ministry of Health decided to increase the interval between two doses of Covishield from 6 to 8 weeks to 12 to 16 weeks. At that time the number of corona patients in the country was increasing and stocks of vaccines were low.

The decision to widen the gap between the two doses of Covishield was taken on the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (NTAGI), the health ministry said. The decision was made on the basis of a survey conducted in Britain and the data available from it. However, three out of 14 members of the NTAGI panel said there was not enough information available to make such a recommendation.

M.D. Gupte, a former director of the state-run National Institute of Epidemiology, said the NTAGI had backed increasing the dosing interval to 8-12 weeks - the gap advised by the World Health Organization. But he added that the group had no data concerning the effects of a gap beyond 12 weeks."Eight to 12 weeks is something we all accepted, 12 to 16 weeks is something the government has come out with," he added. "This may be alright, may not be. We have no information on that," said Gupte.

J.P. Muliyil, a member of the seven-strong COVID working group, said there had been discussions within the NTAGI on increasing the vaccine dosage interval but that the body had not recommended 12-16 weeks.