New Delhi: The next meeting of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration will study and give a report on the proposal mooted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that the use of two different vaccines would be more effective in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the expert committee gives green signal for the ICMR proposal, the Central Government will change the current policy in order to accommodate the use of 'vaccine mix' in the administration of jabs.
The Central government is exploring the possibility of administration of combination of vaccines in the aftermath of acute shortage of vaccines being felt in the country.
Healthcare experts have so recommended that both doses of the same vaccine should be taken for realising the full benefit of vaccination.
Reasons for shift in approach
In Canada, vaccine mix was allowed after some people developed side effects like blood clotting after taking the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Chinese vaccine Sinovac was replaced by AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand. In Vietnam, those who took Pfizer vaccine were advised to go for AstraZeneca's during the second dose.
Italy, which banned the AstraZeneca jab, suggested that people below 60 years of age could use either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines for the second dose. In the UAE, those who have taken two doses of Sinopharm vaccine, are asked to opt for the Pfizer vaccine.
Countries like Finland, Bhutan, France, Norway and Sweden, which used Covishield extensively for both the doses, are supporting the use of a different vaccine during the administration of the second phase.
In Saudi Arabia, vaccine mix had already been experimented in June itself. The United States has also found nothing wrong in administering two different vaccines for different doses in extra ordinary situations.
Scientific studies
AstraZeneca-Pfizer mix is found to be six times effective than the use of same vaccine on both occasions, according to a South Korean study.
A study done by Denmark found that the use of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines were very effective as a second dose for a person who was administered AstroZenaca vaccine during the first dose.
It has been also found that there is no serious side effect in using Sputnik V- AstroZeneca vaccine mix.
But according to a study by the Oxford, those who have taken one dose of the AstraZeneca-Pfizer mix, were much vulnerable to side effects than those who have taken the same vaccines on both the occasions.
The study is also being conducted to find out whether there are side effects or not in mixing other vaccines with Novavax, the vaccine to be launched by India in the market in the coming September.
