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Mixing different Covid-19 vaccines theoretically possible, says Centre
More studies will be required to come to a stage where this can be recommended, Niti Aayog (health) member VK Paul said.
It is scientifically possible that an individual gets the first dose of one vaccine and the second dose of another vaccine, but it will take time to decide whether it can be recommended, the Centre has said. A recent UK study has found that it is safe to mix doses of different types of vaccines, but there will be many side effects, the study has revealed.
"It is plausible. But there need to be more studies. It can't be said definitively that mixing of doses can be practised. There is no robust scientific evidence. Only time will tell whether it will be done in future or not, It will depend on international studies, World Health Organization findings etc. Our experts are also continuously studying," Niti Aayog (health) member VK Paul said on Saturday.
"One shot of one type produces antibodies and the second shot from another will increase that. Scientifically, there is no problem," he added.
Watch: Is it possible to get 2nd dose of different vaccine? NITI Aayog answers
Covishield and Covaxin are the two vaccines being administered in the country. Both the vaccines consist of two doses, the second dose of which is known as the booster dose. In its several advisories, the health ministry has repetitively cautioned that the second dose of the same vaccine should be taken.
The study which says mixing two doses is safe was conducted over around 2,000 volunteers and in the mix and match approach, they were given one Oxford vaccine shot and another Pfizer; another combination of Moderna and Novavax was also tried.
The trial was not aimed at finding out whether a combination of two different doses is effective in preventive Covid or not. Only the immune response of the volunteers was tested and the adverse reactions were short-lived.
There has been no such study yet in India mixing Covaxin and Covishield. According to the latest findings, the first dose of these two vaccines has different effectiveness. Covishield's first dose offers more protection than Covaxin's first dose and hence the second dose of Covishield can be delayed to 12 to 16 weeks, the Centre has recently said.
