As per the analysis and study from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the combination of Covishield and Covaxin will be safe and elicits better immune protection. 18 individuals are examined in Uttar Pradesh and they received Covishield as the first jab and Covaxin as their second dose. Their safety and immunogenicity profile are compared with a group of individuals who received Covaxin or Covishield as both the doses. The findings revealed better immunogenicity among the people who took mixed doses. The research is published in MedRxiv.

All these 18 individuals are mistakenly given Covishield and Covaxin and their blood samples are analyzed for 60-70 days after they took the vaccination doses. A superior immune system was traced in all these individuals told Rajni Kant, a senior scientist in ICMR. This research is quite important as the people can be given mixed doses when there is a shortage of vaccinations in the country. For now, the mixing of two vaccines is not advised in the country. ICMR suggested a multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT) before it gets implemented in the country. The immune system against Alpha, Beta and Delta variants was higher.

Johnson and Johnson is the latest vaccination that got Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the country. Over 50.86 crore vaccine doses are administered in the country to date and the vaccination drive is happening at a faster pace.

By Siva Kumar