Government panel to study feasibility of administering doses of different vaccines

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The government’s Covid-19 working group is planning to study the “feasibility of administering doses of different vaccines to the same person,” according to a report by the Informist.

Currently, doctors recommend both the doses of the Covid-19 vaccine should be from the same manufacturer.

According to the preliminary results of a study in Spain, people being administered the Pfizer vaccine as the booster shot after the AstraZeneca jab was safe and effective. Similar studies are underway in the UK and Canada as well.

N. K. Arora, the head of the Covid-19 working group told the publication, “This mix and match studies are going to be started in India as well, as soon as some of the new vaccines come in.”

“So there can be a mix and match between Covishield and Sputnik, there can be a mix and match between Covishield and Covaxin or Sputnik,” Arora said.

India locally manufactures two vaccines—Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by Serum Institute of India (SII). Sputnik V, a Russian vaccine, is also being procured by the government of India and Dr Reddy’s will be supplying the vaccine. Sputnik V is priced at Rs 995.

Ideally, one must accept the vaccine that is available. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, an individual should get both the jabs within the prescribed intervals.

The purpose of conducting these studies, called interchangeability studies, is to offer the best protection to people and attain programmatic convenience, Arora said.

In terms of efficacy, Sputnik V—approved by DGCI and will be distributed by Dr Reddy’s Laboratory—has an efficacy rate of around 91.6%, while Covaxin gives an efficacy rate of around 81%. On the other hand, Covishield has an efficacy rate of around 70%, which can go high up to 90% after the second dose.