No change in vax gap, interval working well, says NTAGI chief

No change in vax gap, interval working well, says NTAGI chief

Nisha.Nambiar@timesgroup.com

Pune:26.09.2021

Dr N K Arora, chairman, Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), on Saturday ruled out any changes in the gap between two doses of Covishield, citing scientific studies suggesting the vaccine’s higher efficacy when the interval between the shots was longer.

“Any further changes would be based only on scientific evidence and not on random demands,” Arora told TOI on Saturday, stressing that the current interval had been working well.

Several states, including Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, are keen to reduce the gap between the two doses of Covishield from the current 84 days.

Arora said data from the vaccine tracker platform indicated that the way the Covishield doses were currently being administered was fine. Therefore, there was no need to change it as of now, he said, adding that the vaccine’s effectiveness in the current interval was being monitored constantly.

Virologist T Jacob John differed a bit. He told TOI the Covishield doses’ gap could be reduced to four weeks for individuals at high risk and senior citizens. “They (authorities) should at least think about it,” he said. Explaining his thought, the retired professor and the head of department of clinical virology and microbiology of Christian Medical College (Vellore) said, “If someone wants early immunity, give the second dose at four weeks. But if you want the maximum possible immunity, wait for 84 days. Two doses save lives. So, for individuals at high risk of severe disease and death, four weeks’ interval is the best. For them, protection delayed could mean protection denied. For all others between 18 and 60 years, the 84-day interval is logical.”

Dr Anish T S, associate professor at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, also said a shorter gap could be considered for vulnerable groups such as senior citizens and people with comorbidities. “The effectiveness of a single dose may not be sufficient to protect them from clinically severe diseases in the context of the Delta variant,” he said.

Dr M K Sudarshan, chairman of the Karnataka government Covid-19 technical advisory committee, told TOI they had recommended that the Karnataka health minister reduce the time gap of Covishield doses to about six weeks because there were sufficient vaccines but not enough second dose takers. “There is enough scientific evidence that one to two months’ gap is efficacious,” he said.

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, member, National Indian Medical Task Force on Corona Epidemic, told TOI a longer gap was better for long-term protection. “At present, it is best to have a longer gap to protect people from severe disease,” he added.

Vaccine effectiveness monitored constantly, said NTAGI’s Dr N K Arora

‘No vax for children before schools open; parents, teachers need jabs’

There was no need to vaccinate children for reopening schools, said NTAGI task force chairman Dr N K Arora on Saturday. “What is important is to vaccinate parents, teachers and school staffers before the resumption of physical classes,” he said.

Vaccination of healthy children would commence next year, but the immunization of kids with comorbidities would start next month, Dr Arora said. He said they were finalising the list of comorbidities in this age group and it would be ready in the next 8-10 days.

Virologist Dr T Jacob John said the priority of vaccination for children was not high and schools should reopen before the immunisation programme was rolled out. TNN