After Call To Cut Covishield Dose Gap, Government's Clarification

There is no plan to reduce the 84-day dose gap for Covishield, top government expert NK Arora said today as reports said the interval between two shots will be reviewed for the third time this year following a recommendation by health experts.

The IAPSM or Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine has recommended reducing the gap. But Dr Arora, the chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), denied any rethink for now.

“NTAGI reviews vaccine effectiveness data on a regular basis. Currently there is no proposal for change in the dose interval for Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V,” Dr Arora said.

The dose gap for Serum Institute of India's Covishield, the Indian version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, was four to six weeks when nationwide vaccinations started in January. This was later increased to six to eight weeks.

In May, the government revised the dose gap to 12 to 16 weeks citing “real life evidence from the UK”. The gap for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin remained the same.

The decision had raised questions, with many linking it to the massive shortage in vaccines when the second wave of Covid was at its peak. A controversy emerged when some members of the NTAGI suggested the decision was not unanimous and they had opposed doubling the dose interval.

But the government dismissed the charge. Dr Arora asserted that the decision was based on studies that the longer the gap, the more the antibodies and therefore, greater protection from Covid.

Earlier this month, Dr Arora had said the gap may be reduced for those who are 45 or older.

Many studies worldwide say that the potency of the first shot of Covishield may not be as high as previously believed. This would mean a second shot sooner rather than later for stronger protection.

As India widened the gap, countries like the UK reduced it to tackle the surge of Delta, the Covid variant first detected in India, in the country.