Delta Plus Variant May Impact Efficacy Of Covid Vaccines: AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria

On role of vaccination in preventing Covid-19 transmission, AIIMs director said people may contract the virus even after getting inoculated but “our main aim is to prevent deaths and serious illness".

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria | File Image

New Delhi: Even as the ‘delta plus’ variant has not yet been classified as a variant of concern yet, the mutant may affect the efficacy of the vaccines available in India but it will still be effective against the variant according to AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria.

While talking to CNN-News18, Guleria also pointed out that the delta plus is a variant of interest and not of concern yet, he said. On asked about the role of vaccination in preventing Covid-19 transmission, the AIIMS director said people may contract the virus even after getting inoculated but “our main aim is to prevent deaths and serious illness".

On the recent controversy over the increased gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine, the senior doctor supporting the government stance said the current data looked at by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has found evidence that the delay increases the immunity against Covid-19. He added, “As the data emerges, the authorities may change the protocol but as of now the data is quite solid on the current duration."

What’s the reason behind increasing the gap between the Covishield vaccine?

Talking at depth about the government’s decision to increase the gap between two doses of Covishield from four-six weeks to 12-16 weeks, Guleria explained that when the data was evaluated, the alpha variant was dominant and it has changed whereas the delta variant is more dominant now. While both variants are infectious and the alpha variant was found more infectious than the previous variants. But the data need to be looked at critically.

He added that decision will be based on after the data is looked at critically and they look at it from the point of view of getting the crude data. “It has to be taken after looking at the scientific evidence and can’t be a knee-jerk reaction," he added.