ANS: Amidst rising COVID cases in European and few Asian countries, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has recommended reducing the gap between the first and second dose of Covid vaccine Covishield to 8 to 16 weeks.
At present, the second dose of Covishield is being administered 12-16 weeks after the first dose under the national vaccination drive. India’s apex body on immunisation now recommends this be curbed to ramp up the administration of the second dose of Covishield to the remaining population amid rising cases in European nations and some other countries.
Notably, on 13 May 2021, the government extended the gap between the first and second doses of the Covishield vaccine from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks, based on the recommendations by NTAGI that provides guidance to the Union Health Ministry on the immunisation.