Risk Of Mutation With Delay In COVID Vaccine Doses  

India has started their COVID-19 vaccination drive and it is said to be one of the world’s largest drives ever. The vaccine will be administered in two separate doses with around 28-days gap in between each dose.

The experts have expressed their concern over this method. With the increase in mutated strain COVID cases, there has been a concern over the way vaccines should be rolled out. Virus will mutate and this evolution could also take place if doses are not given properly.

The experts have said that the delay in doses can be of advantage to the virus. This may give an immunological advantage to the virus. In the UK and US, experts are planning on keeping a three-month break between virus doses so that the first dose can be given to as many people as possible.

Due to the rapid spread of a new coronavirus strain, the experts in the UK are planning to approve the delay in doses. Although in the US, it was advised that the vaccine should be administered with an advised interval of three weeks between the two doses.

Even in India, the decided model was the 28-day delay method. The manufacturers advised this method; health experts and the government had decided to follow it. It is very important to follow proper methods and vaccinate people on time in order for antibodies to develop.

Instead of pushing to vaccinate as many people as possible, the government should think about the inventory available. First it is important to make sure that the second dose will be available for everyone who received the first dose and only then include a high number of individuals in the process.

Experts are concerned about the Covaxin and questioned EUA given to Bharat Biotech. When Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin was given Emergency approval, it did not produce any results from their phase-three trials.

It’s not just Covaxin, but Oxford-AstraZeneca and Serum Institute of India’s vaccine, Covishield that also landed in controversy for giving paracetamol to its candidates before administration of the vaccine. Overall it was confirmed that these vaccines are safe and ready for use.