The Central government, on Thursday, informed the Kerala High Court that the 84-day gap between two doses of Covishield was prescribed for improved efficacy of the vaccines and not due to the non-availability of vaccines.
Recommendations
When a petition seeking to narrow down the gap for individual buyers of vaccines came up for hearing, the Central government counsel submitted that the decision on dose intervals was taken on the recommendations of the Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 and inputs from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). Justice PB Suresh Kumar had asked the Centre to clarify on what basis the 84-day gap between two doses of Covishield had been prescribed. The court had said that it wanted to know whether the stipulation of the 84-day interval between the two doses of Covidshield was based on the availability of the vaccine or its efficacy.
The court made the observation on the writ petition by Kitex Garments, Kochi, seeking a directive to the State government to allow it to administer the second dose of Covidshield vaccine to its workers before completion of the 84-day gap.