Wait 12-16 weeks to take second Covishield shot, govt panel recommends

NTAGI recommendation will be sent to the National Expert Group

Ground Report | New Desk: A panel of the Government of India has said that a person who is infected with corona should be vaccinated after six months of recovery.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), an advisory group based on the covid-19 vaccine in India, has also recommended that the first and second doses of the vaccine should have a gap of 12 to 16 weeks. Such recommendations have come when there is a shortage of vaccines in the entire country.

ALSO READ: Israel-Palestine Conflict: Kerala woman killed in rocket attack in Israel

The National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) has not recommended any change in the interval between doses of covaxine. The interval now is four to eight weeks. 

Sources said that NTAGI has also said that those who have suffered from covid-19 should not get vaccinated for six months after becoming healthy. 

The group has said that pregnant women can be given the option to get any covid-19 vaccine and breast-fed women can get vaccinated at any time after giving birth. These suggestions from NTAGI will be forwarded to the National Expert Group of covid-19 (NEGVAC) to look into vaccination for approval.

The NTAGI recommendation will be sent to the National Expert Group. This group gives approval regarding the vaccine of covid 19. Earlier in March, the government had increased the gap between the two doses of the vaccine from 28 days to six to eight weeks.

In another recommendation, this government panel has said that pregnant and lactating women can also get vaccinated. Recent research has found that applying the vaccine to pregnant women does not affect the womb.

ALSO READ: Jerusalem tension: 20 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Bombing on Gaza

However, the pregnant women who were vaccinated were either Modarna or Fizer. Both these vaccines are not available in India. However, a study has clarified a situation regarding the introduction of vaccine to pregnant women.

"Based on existing evidence, especially from the UK, the covid-19 working group has agreed to increase the interval between two doses of the covishield vaccine to 12 to 16 weeks," the sources said.

Current vaccination protocols state that since the clinical trial has not yet included pregnant and lactating women, they should not be vaccinated. 

Those who have received the first dose of vaccine and if they become infected before the second dose is administered should wait four to eight weeks before receiving the next dose after recovering.

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp, and mail us at [email protected] to send us your suggestions and writeups