NewDelhi: A mix of Covishield and Covaxin, the two vaccines spearheading India’s Covid-19 vaccination program can yield better results, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has revealed. The observation is based on a study conducted on as many as 18 people in Siddharth Nagar, who mistakenly were administered separate vaccines.
According to the study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, administering an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine, followed by an inactivated whole virus vaccine is not only safe but also elicits better immunogenicity.
Notably, Covishield, which is manufactured by Pune’s Serum Institute of India, is an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine, whereas Covaxin, which has been developed by Bharat Biotech and the ICMR, is a whole virus vaccine.
Titled ‘Serendipitous Covid-19 Vaccine-Mix in Uttar Pradesh, India: Safety and Immunogenicity Assessment of a Heterologous Regime’, the study is presently uploaded on medRxiv.
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As part of the study, the results of the 18 people who received two different vaccines, were compared with 40 recipients of two doses of Covishield, and 40 recipients of Covaxin, between May and June 2021.
The mixing of vaccines is presently a hot discussion globally, and so far all studies have favored mixing two vaccines to increase protection against future Covid-19 contractions. Also, the subject expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has recommended a similar trial by mixing Covishield with Covaxin. The trial is to be conducted by the Christian Medical College in Vellore on as many as 300 volunteers.
Earlier, Niti Aayog member Dr. VK Paul had revealed that theoretically there is no problem in mixing two vaccines. The second dose in such a case will most likely work as a booster shot, he had said.
Govt has intensified its vaccination program so that it can avoid the enormity of the third wave which have been predicted some analyst to come in Aug end till now more than 50 crore doses have been administered in India.
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