PUNE: Dr N K Arora, chairman of the Covid-19 working group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), on Saturday ruled out any changes in the gap between two doses of Covishield citing scientific studies suggesting the vaccine’s higher efficacy when the interval between the shots was longer.
“Any further changes would be based on scientific evidence and not on random demands,” Arora told TOI on Saturday, stressing that the current interval had been working well. Several states, including Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, are keen to reduce the gap between the two doses of Covishield from the current 84 days.
Arora said data from the vaccine tracker platform indicated that the way the Covishield doses were currently being administered was fine, adding that the vaccine’s effectiveness in the current interval was being monitored constantly.
Virologist T Jacob John differed a bit. He told TOI that the Covishield doses’ gap could be reduced to four weeks for individuals at high risk and senior citizens. “They (authorities) should at least think about it,” he said. “Two doses save lives. So, for individuals at high risk of severe disease and death, four weeks’ interval is the best,” he added.