Don’t fret if 2nd dose delayed, say experts

Don’t fret if 2nd dose delayed, say experts

Neha Madaan & Sumitra DebRoy TNN

Pune/Mumbai:

First-dose recipients of Covaxin don't need to restart their vaccination schedule if the gap between doses goes beyond the recommended 4-6-week interval, a top public health official has said. Experts also stressed that delay in taking a second dose of Covishield or Covaxin does not render the first shot ineffective. An estimated 5 lakh people in Maharashtra are awaiting the second shot of Covaxin alone.

Dr N K Arora, member of the National Committee on Adverse Events Following Immunisation, said recipients should not worry if the second dose is delayed. “We know there are many single-dosers whose second shots have been delayed. They need not be worried. Even if gap between two doses increases to 8-10 weeks, in case of any of the two vaccines, beneficiaries can take the second shot and it will still be effective. There is no need to repeat the vaccine schedule due to a delayed second dose,” he said.

JAB EFFECT: Delay in getting second dose does not make the first ineffective, say experts

‘Advisable for senior citizens to avoid crowded vax centres’

Counselling recipients to not panic, immunologist Dr Vineeta Bal from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune said the first dose has already triggered an immune response which does not disappear because of the delay, only that it’s not optimum, and hence the second dose is needed.

“Abooster (second)doseessentially increases the quality and quantity of the first dose response,” she said, adding that it may be advisable for senior citizens to avoid crowded vaccination centres since there is a real possibility of catching the infection there. The first dose remains in the body but also has its own limited half-life.

All antibodies produced are proteins that get degraded within the body whether used or not used. “So, the immune response generated by the first dose may possibly start tapering off after 4-5 months,” Bal added.

The duration between two Covishield doses was increased from 4 weeks to 12 weeks primarily based on data from international trials where after a first dose the immune response was measured until the second dose was given. “In some cases, due to trial related issues, the second dose was given as late as 12 weeks and still the effect of the first dose was pretty much okay,” she added.

For Covaxin, such a variation in the duration between first and second dose was not tested in human beings though.

“The makers had uniformly tested at the end of four weeks. That’s why everybody is recommending booster for Covaxin at the end of 28 days. Theoretically, if there is enough response that lasted for four weeks, maybe it will last up to the fifth week too. But we don’t know that since there is no data,” Bal added.

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A deserted Har ki Pauri ghat on Vaishakh Amavasya on Tuesday

Those taking 2nd shots are priority: Govt

The Centre on Tuesday insisted that those eligible for the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine should be given priority and that vaccination wastage should be minimised. Expressing concern over the misinformation on the subject of vaccination, Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba mentioned that all vaccines that are procured either by the central government or the state governments are actually meant for the public in the states and there is no consumption at the central-level. PTI