Mixing of Covid vaccines not protocol yet: Centre
New Delhi: The government on Tuesday said mixing of COVID-19 vaccines is not the protocol yet and there is no change in the schedule of two-dose vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, amid reports that India is planning to start trials to test the feasibility of a regimen that uses two different jabs and the effectiveness of a single dose.
It said the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of administering the doses of the same vaccine should be followed.
Some media reports have claimed that India may begin trials "in a few weeks" to see if mixing two different COVID-19 vaccines can help boost the immune response to the virus.
Addressing a press conference, NITI Aayog (Health) member Dr V K Paul presented two scenarios on the mixing of Covid vaccines.
"On the one hand, it might be possible that mixing of vaccines can lead to bad reactions... On the other, science also indicates that mixing of vaccines could be useful and lead to an increase in immunity but a severe reaction and harm cannot be ruled out and therefore there is research going on in other countries.
"This is a scientific matter and till the time it does not get sorted, we will say it is an unresolved scientific question over which there is no change in our programme," he said.
"It is science's curiosity that will be settled by science and we will give the needed inputs in the process. Till then, there is no mixing of vaccines... our schedule is very clear. Please stick to the SOP that doses of the same vaccine are to be given. If a change is to be made, we will share it from the same platform," he added.
Paul said Covishield and Covaxin schedule in India is of two doses.
"First dose (of Covishield) and then, after 12 weeks, the second dose. There is absolutely no change. Covaxin also has a two-dose schedule. First dose and then second dose after 4-6 weeks. This schedule is being followed to take our vaccination schedule forward and no confusion must be created on this," he said.
India reported 1,27,510 fresh Covid cases, the lowest in 54 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 6.62 per cent, according to the Union Health ministry data updated on Tuesday.
With the fresh cases, India's tally of Coronavirus cases rose to 2,81,75,044, out of which 2,59,47,629 people have recuperated from the disease.
The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,31,895 with 2,795 fresh fatalities, the lowest reported in 35 days, and the active cases were recorded below 20 lakh after 43 days, the data updated at 8 am showed. The case fatality rate has increased to 1.18 per cent, the data stated.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 21.83 crore, the Union Health ministry said on Tuesday.
It said 9,50,401 people in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose and 15,467 their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a consignment of three million doses of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
A GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) press release said the vaccine consignment arrived from Russia on a specially chartered freighter RU-9450 which touched down at Hyderabad Airport at 03.43 hours.
"While GHAC has already handled several import shipments of vaccine prior to this, today's shipment of 56.6 tonnes of vaccines is the single largest import shipment of COVID-19 vaccines handled in India till date. This shipment completed all processes and was dispatched in less than 90 minutes," it said.
The Sputnik V vaccine requires specialised handling and storage, required to be kept at a temperature of -20 C.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories is in a pact with the Russian Direct Investment Fund to sell the first 125 million people doses (250 million vials) of Sputnik V in India.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories has received approval from the Indian drug regulator for restricted emergency use of Sputnik V.
Amid the controversy over the shortage of Covid vaccine in the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) emphasised that India will have enough doses by July or early August to vaccinate one crore people every day. However, ICMR chief Balram Bhargava has outrightly denied the reports about the shortage of vaccines in the country.
"By mid-July or August, we will have enough doses to vaccinate one crore people per day. We are confident of vaccinating the whole population by December," Bhargava affirmed.
He also added that the gradual lifting of lockdown-like curbs will not lead to a massive surge in Covid cases. "However, we have to ensure that vaccination is prioritised. The vaccination rate must be up to 70 per cent and Covid-appropriate behaviour should be strictly followed," he said.
