New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday clarified that there will be no mixing of vaccines when India begins administering precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 60+ population with comorbidities and frontline healthcare workers from January 10.
"We have come to the conclusion that same vaccine doses will be given as precaution dose from January 10. If someone got two doses of Covaxin, he or she will be given Covaxin. People inoculated with Covishield will be provided with the same," said Dr VK Paul, chairman of India's Covid-19 task force.
Dr Paul said that number of elderly and comorbidities population have been rising "and all of them should get the precautionary dose."
On children's vaccination, Dr Paul said that more than one crore adolescents have been vaccinated with 1st dose in the last three days. "One out of six children have been inoculated with one dose ever since their vaccination started on January 3," said Dr Paul. He expressed confidence that vaccine availability is not an issue for the country at present.
Meanwhile, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Balram Bhargava said Molnupiravir which has recently been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for its emergency use authorization has "safety concern."
"Molnupiravir has major safety concerns including mutagenicity, muscle and bone damage. If this drug is given, contraception has to be done for three months as child may have problems," said Dr Bhargava. Keeping in mind the safety concerns of this drug, it has not been included in the treatment protocol prepared by the national task force on Covid-19. "Till now, the use of anti-Covid pill Molnupiravir to treat patients has not been updated in the list of treatments recommended by the national task force," said Dr Bhargava.
Referring to Biological E's Corbevax, Dr Bhargava said that the vaccine is in trial for paediatrics use. "Biological E may apply for grant of approval for Corbevax as additional dose to adult population," Dr Bhargava said.
