Covishield, Covaxin mix can give better results, says ICMR | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Covishield, Covaxin mix can give better results, says ICMR

By | Written by Poulomi Ghosh
Aug 08, 2021 01:02 PM IST

The study was conducted on 18 people who have received two doses of two different vaccines and it has not yet been peer-reviewed, reports said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research has revealed that a mix of Covishield and Covaxin, the two main vaccines of India's Covid vaccination programme, can actually yield better results, news agency ANI reported. The study was only conducted on 18 people of Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar, who by mistake received two doses of two separate vaccines. According to the finding of the study which is yet to be peer-reviewed immunisation with a combination of an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine, followed by inactivated whole virus vaccine was not only safe but also elicited better immunogenicity. Covishield, manufactured by Pune's Serum Institute of India, is the adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine and Covaxin, developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech and the ICMR, is the whole virus vaccine. Covishield and Covaxin belong to two different types.

Mix of Covishield and Covaxin has now been found to be more effective than both doses of the same vaccine, reports said. (PTI)
Mix of Covishield and Covaxin has now been found to be more effective than both doses of the same vaccine, reports said. (PTI)

The study titled ‘Serendipitous Covid-19 Vaccine-Mix in Uttar Pradesh, India: Safety and Immunogenicity Assessment of a Heterologous Regime’ has been uploaded on medRxiv. Under this study, 18 people received two doses of two different vaccines, the reaction of which was compared to 40 receipients of two doses of Covishield and 40 recipients of two doses of Covaxin, news agency PTI reported. The study duration was from May to June 2021, it said.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Mixing of vaccines is being discussed globally all studies are in favour of mixing two vaccines to increase the protection against future infection. The subject expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has in July recommended a trial of mixing Covishield and Covaxin, which will be conducted by the Christian Medical College in Vellore on 300 healthy volunteers.

While that will be a proper clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of the cocktail of Covishield and Covaxin, the ICMR's study was based on the goof-up that took place in May. There was no immediate adverse impact of the mix-up of the beneficiaries. Now, further study has revealed that the mix-up has actually worked in favour of protection as these people have more protection than those who have received two shots of the same vaccine.

The issue of mixing vaccines is sensitive as World Health Organization has warned that individuals should not decide on mixing vaccines. Niti Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul had earlier said that theoretically there is no problem in mixing two vaccines as the second dose in such a case will work as a booster shot. But as the government started its vaccination drive on January 16, it asked health workers to exercise extreme caution to make sure that the beneficiaries receive the second shot of the same vaccine that they received as their first shots.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On