Covid-19 dose gap can be reviewed based on expert advice: V K Paul

Technical advisory group would review and decide on the matter based on pandemic scenario, says govt

The government has asked people not to panic over the perceived need for an immediate change in the Covishield vaccine dosage interval, adding that the national technical advisory group on immunisation (NTAGI) would review the matter based on the pandemic scenario and the prevalence of delta variant in India.
 
Some reports recently have suggested that the gap between the two Covishield doses should be kept at eight weeks instead of prevalent 12 weeks. V K Paul, member-health, Niti Aayog, said the NTAGI would take a comprehensive view and decide on the matter.
 
Addressing a press briefing, Paul said: “Whichever decision is taken by our scientific community, we will honour it.”
 
He said there is a need for this debate and discourse in the public domain. “However, the decision has to be taken by appropriate fora comprising eminent people who are knowledgeable.”
 
The UK must have adopted due process and examined data scientifically, to revise their previous decision regarding the gap, he said. The UK had earlier maintained a 12-week gap, “but according to data available to us, we did not consider it safe at that point,” he added.
 
Paul said that when it was decided to increase the Covishield dose interval to 12 weeks, the government had to consider the risk posed by the virus to those who have received only one dose.