Nitin Shukla, a resident of Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine – Covaxin, in the first week of May. Now Delhi has stopped vaccination for the 18-44 age group due to a lack of Covid-19 vaccine doses. Nitin is in her mid-twenties.
Under the current dosing schedule for Covid-19 vaccines, nitin would receive its second dose in the first week of June. However, he is not sure if he can get the second dose as a Covishield sting in either Delhi or neighboring Uttar Pradesh or Haryana if he does not get the Covaxin dose on time.
There are many like Nitin who face this vaccine dosage dilemma. Lack of Covid-19 vaccine doses Many have wondered if they can combine two different vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin in India.
EXPERT OPINION
In his May 20 Twitter post, Dr. Faheem Younus, chief infectious disease chief at the American University of Maryland’s Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH), has this dilemma.
Q: Can I take Pfizer / Astra Zeneca / JJ after vaccinated with Covaxin or Sinopharm etc? Can I mix and match vaccines?
From today I would say no. It is studied. In addition, rare exceptions do not mix.
That’s going to change. Instead of taking a blind risk, wait 2-3 months.
– Faheem Younus, MD (@FaheemYounus) May 20, 2021
He wrote, “Q: Can I take Pfizer / Astra Zeneca / JJ after vaccinating with Covaxin or Sinopharm etc? Can I mix and match vaccines?”
“As of today I would say no. It is being investigated. Barring rare exceptions, don’t mix. This will change. Wait 2-3 months instead of taking a blind risk,” he replied.
GOVERNMENT OPINION
Two days later, on May 22nd, the central government also appeared to be very cautious in answering this question.
“It’s plausible. But more study needs to be done. It can’t be definitively said that dose mixing can be practiced. There is no solid scientific evidence,” said VK Paul, a member of Niti Aayog (Health).
“Only time will tell whether this will happen in the future or not, it will depend on international studies, results from the World Health Organization, etc. Our experts also study continuously,” said Paul.
Paul said, “A shot from a guy [of Covid-19 vaccine] produces antibodies and the second shot from another will increase that. Scientifically there is no problem. “
SCIENCE AND STUDIES
Studies have been carried out mixing the doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca (called Covishield in India). A study of 600 participants showed that Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine given as a second dose to beneficiaries who received AstraZeneca’s shot as the first dose significantly improved immune responses with mild side effects.
The US has allowed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be mixed and asked recipients to take the two recordings with a 28-day break. (File photo)
Another sIA major study has started in the UK Various combinations of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax vaccines were tried on over 50 volunteers.
The researchers decided to give two doses of the vaccine 12 weeks apart. The results will be available in the next few months.
WHAT HAPPENS ELSEWHERE?
Pending the final results of the Covid-19 vaccine mixing and matching studies, several countries have approved or decided to give recipients a second dose of a different vaccine. In most cases, the first vaccine shot was from AstraZeneca.
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Canada, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, Spain and South Korea have approved the use of a different vaccine for the second dose for a full Covid-19 vaccination when the first dose was an AstraZeneca vaccine.
China, where Covid-19 first broke out in 2019, officially considered mixing Covid-19 vaccine doses for bursts developed using different technologies in April.
The US has allowed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be mixed and asked recipients to take the two recordings with a 28-day break.
INDIA’S PROBLEM
No such study was conducted for vaccines available in India – Covishield and Covaxin. Interestingly, the third vaccine approved in India, Sputnik V, uses slightly different syringes for its two-dose inoculation regimen.
Second, only one of these three vaccines has been approved by the WHO. Covaxin hopes the WHO has yet to nod and that those who have had one or both vaccinations may have to follow the new vaccination schedule approved in the destination country. There is a possibility of an uncertain reaction when mixing dose (s) of Covaxin with another vaccine – a combination that has not been tested or studied by science.
TRY BY ACCIDENT
Incidentally, two accidental vaccination errors from Uttar Pradesh treated people with different vaccines. The first incident was reported in April when a man was given Covishield as a second dose in Maharajganj district. He had previously received a Covaxin shot.
Reported in the second instance of this week, 20 people received different vaccines – Covishield in April and Covaxin now – in the Siddarthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
No adverse effects have been reported to date. Deliberately mixing Covid-19 vaccines, Covishield, and Covaxin is not currently recommended in India.
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