Don’t worry if you miss your date with second dose of Covishield

A SHOT OF HOPE Ask The Experts

Don’t worry if you miss your date with second dose of Covishield

The Union health ministry on Thursday increased the interval between the shots from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks for Covishield, but no change has been suggested for the dosage interval of Covaxin by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Hence, it is advisable that you don’t delay the 2nd dose of Covaxin

I had Covid within a week of my first vaccine dose. When can I take the second? What is the maximum permissible gap between shots?

—MAYUR NAYAK, BENGALURU

The recommendation is to wait for 4-8 weeks after recovering from Covid before taking the next vaccine. This is because you would have antibodies made naturally during the infection.

Between the two shots, WHO recommends a gap of 12 weeks for Covishield. The Indian government advised a gap of 6-8 weeks, but increased it to 12-16 weeks on Thursday. For Covaxin, the recommended gap is 4 weeks because no other interval has been tested.

Don’t worry if your second dose gets delayed by a few weeks because for Covishield, we know that one dose gives about 80% protection against severe disease.

Even WHO agrees you can delay the second dose of Covishield up to six months. For Covaxin, a few weeks’ delay will not matter, but as with all inactivated vaccines, try to get the second dose anytime after 4 weeks to complete the immunisation.

What are the most common Covid symptoms in children?

—PARI PARIKH, KOLKATA

The most common symptoms seen in teenagers and children in the second wave are high fever, cough and cold, throat pain, headache and loose stools. Normally, all s y m p t o m s subside in the first week itself, with cough persisting for 1-2 weeks. Weakness and body aches can also persist beyond the first week.

I am a senior citizen living alone. I feel very anxious when I hear negative news all the time — vaccine shortage, images of crematoriums, and deaths in the family. How can I keep my mind positive and calm?

—VAISHANAVI BHARATI, HOWRAH

It is wonderful to see that you reached out for an answer, which is the first step towards positive therapy. Please take solace from the fact that you are not alone. It is this sense of being part of a collective narrative that may be the anchor for many of us who otherwise feel despondent in the current time. Here are some suggestions:

1. Limit news to once a day. Read the newspaper in the morning. Avoid watching TV news repeatedly or skip it altogether if it troubles you.

2. Speak to people who are positive and give you good energy and vibes. It will fill you with optimism.

3. Find a mantra that inspires you, for example: “This too shall pass.” Hold on to it in your mind. You can make a note of it and keep it somewhere where you’d be reminded of it frequently.

4. Routines and daily rhythms keep the mind grounded. For example, a walk or surya namaskar or any breathing exercises every morning, chanting a shloka or singing to yourself, watching or reading something inspirational, etc.

India has approved the Roche/ Regeneron antibody cocktail to treat Covid-19. Could this be a gamechanger in the treatment of Covid?

—RAHUL, HYDERABAD

The Roche/Regeneron antibody cocktail consists of casirivimab and imdevimab, which are synthetically manufactured copies of antibodies the body produces after a Covid infection. These are monoclonal antibodies that bind to the spike protein of the novel coronavirus and block its entry into human cells.

They were proven effective in mild or moderate Covid-19 and can be used to treat people who are at high risk of developing severe disease, such as people with comorbidities or compromised immune systems, among others.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has granted an emergency use authorisation to this new treatment, equipping doctors with one more tool to fight the battle against Covid-19. However, it is too early to say if it will be a gamechanger.

How long will the effect of Covid vaccine last? Will we have to take it every year?

—NAGENDRA KUMAR, HYDERABAD

So far, the vaccines Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik V have been found to be effective against variants circulating in India. But efficacy of vaccines will depend on the emerging variants. So, we need to keep track of new mutations.

Although antibodies in the blood may begin to fade in 6-12 months, the cell-mediated immunity may last longer. Clinical trials are currently on to find out if we will need booster doses on an annual or longer basis. The decision will also depend upon our genetic make-up. It is too early to comment on this.