Accepting the recommendation of the expert panel, the Centre has now notified that the gap between two doses of Serum Institute of India’s COVID-19 vaccine Covishield will be extended between 12-16 weeks. The gap between two doses of Bharat Biotech’s vaccine Covaxin however remains unchanged.
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI) has also recommended those who test positive for COVID-19 should defer their vaccination by six months post recovery.
While experts including White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr Anthony Facuci have said that extending the gap between two doses of Covishield is a “reasonable approach,” there are multiple questions which are playing on people’s minds regarding vaccination including what happens if one gets infected with COVID-19 between two jabs.
Your FAQs Answered
If you have not been vaccinated ever and have recovered from COVID-19, when should you get your vaccine shot?
WHO also says a waiting period of six months is fine after getting infected with COVID-19 and recovering as natural antibodies are likely to be active till then.
If you get infected after getting your first dose, when should you get your second vaccine dose?
According to CDC, our body takes two weeks to build up immunity after getting the first vaccine jab, during which there are chances of getting infected.
Experts say the effect of COVID-19 vaccine is not strong enough if exposure to the virus happens within one to three weeks of getting the first shot. In that case, one may experience a milder level of infection.
In cases like these, our natural antibodies start fighting the infection and it is deemed like getting a vaccine shot.
Experts, however, advise to wait up to eight weeks before getting the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if you get infected in between two doses.
What happens in case of delay in getting second dose of vaccine due to non-availability of slots owing to shortage of vaccines?
There is no reason to panic in case of a slight delay in getting the second shot of the vaccine.
A study by acclaimed medical joornal ‘The Lancet’ showed that a gap of three months between doses leads to higher vaccine efficacy. According to the study, Covishield’s efficacy is only 55.1 per cent if the two doses are administered in a gap of less than six weeks but it increases to 81.3 per cent if administered at a gap of 12 weeks.
The Centre has now suggested a gap of 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield.