Covid Vaccine Update: Covishield Second Dose Gap Now Reduced To 8-16 Weeks — Details Here

Covid Vaccination: NTAGI has not yet suggested any change in the dosage of the Covaxin dose of Bharat Biotech, the second dose being given 28 days after the first dose.

A vial of Covishield vaccine and disposable syringes (File photo: AFP)

New Delhi: The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTIGI) on Sunday has recommended reducing the duration of the second dose of Covishield vaccine to 8-16 weeks after the 1st dose, as quoted by news agency ANI.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has recommended reducing the duration of the second dose of Covishield vaccine to 8-16 weeks after the 1st dose: Official Sources

Presently, the 2nd dose of Covishield is given 12-16 weeks after the first dose.

— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2022

Currently, the second dose of Covishield is given between 12-16 weeks of the first dose under the national Covid-19 vaccination strategy.

India's apex body on vaccination provides guidance and advice to the Union Ministry of Health on vaccination services regarding effective control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.

NTAGI has not yet suggested any change in the dosage of the Covaxin dose of Bharat Biotech, the second dose being given 28 days after the first dose. The Covishield recommendation has not yet been implemented in the national Covid-19 vaccination program. 

"The latest recommendation of NTAGI is based on recent global scientific evidence derived from programmatic data," said an official source, as quoted by news agency PTI.

"According to it, when the second dose of Covishield is given eight weeks onwards, the antibody response generated is almost similar when administered at an interval of 12 to 16 weeks," the source explained.

The government had on May 13, 2021, increased the difference between the first and second dose of Covishield vaccine from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks based on the recommendations of NTAGI. 

More than 181.19 crore doses of the anti-covid vaccine have been given in the country till now. According to the Union Ministry of Health, 13,63,853 doses were given till 7 pm on Saturday. The Ministry said that so far 16,76,515 doses of vaccine have been given to children aged 12-14. In addition, 2,17,30,449 precautionary doses of vaccine have so far been given to health workers, front line personnel and people above 60 years of age.