The Union government is considering to reduce gap between two doses of Covidshield being sold in private centres, news reports indicate. The speculation comes a month after Kerala High Court ordered the state health ministry to allow this choice on its vaccine-booking platform.
Centre had increased the time-period between two Covidshield doses in May, when there was a high demand for vaccines and supply was short. The gap between the two doses was increased from 28 days to 12 to 16 weeks. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the recommended dosage is two jabs given “intramuscularly (0.5ml each) with an interval of 8 to 12 weeks”.
The WHO maintains that science on the vaccine was developing and that “longer dose intervals within the 8 to 12 weeks range were associated with greater vaccine efficacy”. As of now, the option for taking two doses within a month is available for those flying abroad – as planned by states.
