Why Can't We Have Two Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines Back-To-Back?

Why can't we take the COVID vaccination doses at once? Why there should be a gap between the two doses of the vaccination? ETV Bharat Sukhibhava spoke to Dr. Rajesh Vukkala, MD (General Medicine), Consultant Physician at VINN Hospital, Hyderabad, and he explained the reasons behind the gap between jabs.

While the COVID-19 vaccination drive is on the run, many people in India are eager to get their first jab and the second one after a certain time gap, with a hope to get back to living a normal life, which existed in the pre-COVID era. But since we are talking so much about the vaccines, did you ever wonder why a certain time gap is required between the two doses of a vaccine? To resolve this query, the ETV Bharat Sukhibhava team spoke to Dr. Rajesh Vukkala, MD (General Medicine), Consultant Physician at VINN Hospital, Hyderabad, and here is what he explains.

Why Is A Gap Between Two Vaccines Important?

Dr. Vukkala says that when a person gets the first jab, his/her body gets sensitized and the amplification of antibodies with the second dose is significant, hence, the immunity will be boosted. Therefore, in a layman’s language, the first dose basically sensitizes our body to produce antibodies and the second one provides additional antibodies to fight against the virus.

To understand it more in detail, Dr. Vukkala explains that through vaccines, we tend to give a viral particle into the blood. This particle when enters the body, stimulates the cells that are going to form the antibodies. The cells cannot instantly produce tons of antibodies. For this, they need to memorize the DNA/RNA code and once that is done, it replicates. And once it replicates, it gives enough signals to form the antibodies. This is what sensitization is. Following this, a booster dose (second dose of the vaccines) is given, which shoots up the number of antibodies being formed, making them sufficient enough to protect our body from the virus.

Time Gap Between Doses Of Vaccines In India

In India, two vaccines are currently authorized to be used- Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and AstraZeneca’s Covishield. While the time gap between two doses of Covaxin is 28 days, that of Covishield has been increased recently. The Union Health Secretary asked states and UTs to administer the second dose of Covishielf between 4-8 weeks time.

Our expert, on this, says that probably in the research it was found that the sensitization is not adequate around the 4 weeks time, therefore the time gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine has been increased from 28 days to 4-8 weeks. This will provide better antibody response and better protection.

What Other Precautions Are To Be Taken?

Here are some of the things that you must keep in your mind before and after getting the vaccination:

• Consult your doctor once if you have any medical condition, before getting the vaccination. Some people may be allergic to pharmaceutical products or injectable therapies, which is why a nod from your health expert is necessary.
• Keep your diet healthy and keep yourself well hydrated.
• Once you get injected, sit at the site for at least 30 minutes and immediately inform the health personnel if you suffer from any unusual side effects.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) states “COVID Vaccine will be introduced only when the safety is proven. As is true for other vaccines, the common side effects in some individuals could be a mild fever, pain, etc. at the site of injection.
  States have been asked to start making arrangements to deal with any Covid-19 vaccine-related side-effects as one of the measures towards safe vaccine delivery among the masses.
• In case of any common side effects, the healthcare expert may ask you to take a dose of paracetamol. However, if the side effects seem to be unusual, seek medical help immediately.
• Although you are vaccinated, you still need to follow all the preventive measures like wearing a mask, sanitizing, and maintaining a physical distance. The reason behind this is that it takes up to 2 weeks after the second dose for the vaccine to be effective and one also needs to be cautious until herd immunity is attained. Apart from this, you can still be a carrier of the virus for other people. Therefore, following the safety measures is important.

Since there is no curative treatment of the disease yet, the only way to get rid of the COVID-19 and going back to living a normal life is getting yourself vaccinated. Vaccination will best help curb the spread of the virus. Do not let others scare you of the vaccines. Be a responsible citizen and get yourself vaccinated as soon as you get a chance.