New Delhi: India is likely to allow smaller gaps between the dose of Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine for inoculation carried out personally, in line with the court order, two sources told Reuters.
Hospitals and private clinics will give patients who pay the option to receive their second dose of vaccines four weeks after the first, down from between 12 and 16 weeks today, they said.
Earlier this month, the High Court in the southern state of Kerala ordered changes to the Ministry of Health’s vaccine order platform to give people to pay for vaccination this option, which has been offered to those who fly abroad.
“Because the High Court has given an assessment, it must be done,” said one source.
“For government programs, the ideal gap is still 12 weeks.” India doubled the gap between two doses of astrazeneca vaccine in May to ensure more people are inoculated with at least one dose when rare inventory at the altitude of the state outbreak this year.
AstraZeneca recommended the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine taken four weeks after the first shot, but said on the website there was a “trend increase efficacy with a dose interval longer than 4 weeks”.
The World Health Organization recommends eight to 12 weeks intervals.
Sources, who refuse to be named because they are not authorized to talk to the media, cannot say when changes will be implemented.
The Ministry of Health does not immediately respond to a comment request.
The total Indian vaccine output experienced threefold since May to 300 million doses a month.
Less than a quarter of production sold by private hospitals while the remainder is provided by the government free of charge.
India has provided at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine at 65% of 944 million adults and two doses in 22% of adults.