Covid positive should defer vaccine for 6 months post recovery: Govt

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 13

The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration has suggested that Covid positive persons defer their vaccination for six months after recovery as against the current period of 14 days after recovery.

The NEGVAC in its meeting on Wednesday night also said those who’ve received plasma should receive jabs 12 weeks after recovery and that the gap between the second dosage of Covishield be extended to 12 to 16 weeks as against the present six to eight weeks. The government has accepted this recommendation regarding the second dose of Covishield. 

Another receommendation pertains to people who dvelop serious illness. Such people should take jabs four to eight weeks after recovery.

The NEGVAC recommendations will now be vetted by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation before being sent to the government for approval.

The recommendations come at a time of vaccine shortages and the pending second dose schedules falling behind time.

Evidence is now available to show that 80 pc people who have had Covid remain protected for seven months with natural antibodies to the disease.

The recommendations are part of vaccine rationalisation and prioritisation.