Govt considering to reduce gap between 2 doses of Covishield for those aged 45 & above

Aug 6: In a latest development, the government may again reduce the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine, but this time it will only be for those 45 years and older. COVID-19 working group, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI), is set to meet next week and a revision on dosage interval could be on the cards.

At the very beginning of the vaccination drive in India, the recommended gap between the two doses of Covishield was 4-6 weeks, which was increased to 4 to 8 weeks and then finally to 12 to 16 weeks. The decision to extend the gap to 12 to 16 weeks was met with controversy, as it was regarded as an attempt to address the country’s vaccination shortage at the time. Experts, on the other hand, claimed that the decision was based on new international scientific studies that showed that a longer gap between dosages produced more antibodies.

NTAGI Chairperson NK Arora said, “We have gathered data on the impact of vaccines and their dosage interval on different age groups and from different regions. In two to four weeks we may decide on reducing dosage interval of Covishield, especially for those above 45 years and elderly based on final scientific evidence,”