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6-fold rise in antibodies if Covishield is booster after 2 doses of Covaxin: study

This is the first scientific evidence from India on mixing vaccines for the booster dose. Currently, the “precautionary” third dose being given to those above 60 years is the same as the previous two shots.

A healthcare worker administers a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a student between the age group of 12 to 14 years at a vaccination centre in New Delhi. (Express)
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According to the first preliminary scientific evidence from India on mixing Covid-19 vaccines, antibodies shoot up six times when Covishield is administered as a booster (third dose) to those who have already taken two doses of Covaxin. However, if Covaxin is given as a booster to those with two doses of Covishield, the antibodies don’t shoot up as much. “That increase is relatively lesser,” sources said.

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The Indian Express has learnt that these preliminary results on mixing vaccines was submitted by Christian Medical College, Vellore, to the Drugs Controller General of India on Wednesday.

This is the first scientific evidence from India on mixing vaccines for the booster dose. Currently, the “precautionary” third dose being given to those above 60 years is the same as the previous two shots.

Sources said critical data on neutralising antibodies and T-cell response seen in mixing Covishield and Covaxin vaccines will be submitted in a week. “Far more important is the data related to the neutralising antibody and the T-cell response. That data is expected to come next week,” said sources.

Based on the final data, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is expected to take a decision on administering a different vaccine as the third dose.

Currently, India is also studying the effect of mixing Biological-E’s Corbevax, Bharat Biotech’s intranasal vaccine, and Serum Institute of India’s Covavax. The data emerging from these studies will be crucial as the scientific bodies are deliberating on expanding the precautionary dose to those under the age of 60 years.

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Meanwhile, vaccination for the 12-14 years age group began on Wednesday. According to provisional data, 3,23,708 doses of Corbevax were administered to beneficiaries in this age group on the first day. The country’s total vaccination figure has touched 180.68 crore.

With a new surge in Covid-19 cases being reported in several countries including China, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting with members of the Covid-19 task force and directed them to maintain high alert. Sources said the authorities were directed to conduct aggressive genome sequencing of samples to detect possible new variants. Additionally, Mandaviya asked authorities at the local level to intensify surveillance for early identification of hotspots, sources said.

The meeting was attended by Dr V K Paul, who heads the task force, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, ICMR Chief Dr Balram Bhargava, Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

On Wednesday, India reported 2,876 new cases, while the active caseload is down to 32,811.

Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health. His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award. Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time. Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More

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  • Covaxin Covid 19 Vaccines COVID-19 Covishield
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