The Centre on Wednesday 19th May, 2021 said that it has accepted the recommendations of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19, according to which those who have been infected by Covid-19 can take their vaccines three months after the recovery. Those who have been infected after the first dose of the vaccine should also wait for three months to get their second dose. Patients who have been treated with plasma therapy should also defer their vaccination by three months, the Centre said. The recommendations were based on the “evolving situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and emerging global scientific evidence and experience”, the Centre has said. The recommendations are based on the finding that the protection that one develops after getting infected by the virus stays for at least three months. The vaccine if administered at a time when there are antibodies may become redundant. Hence, experts recommended the gap.
After having peaked on May 6th, in the last two weeks, the daily case count has dropped to about 2.6 lakh from the peak of 4.14 lakh, while the active cases have come down to 32.25 lakh, after touching a high of 37.45 lakh. If current trends continue, it is expected that by July, India would reach the same level of case counts as in February.
India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore cases on 4th May, 2021.
Meanwhile, Rapid Antigen Kits to conduct Covid test at home got a green signal on Wednesday, 19th May, 2021 and the Indian Council of Medical Research, the nodal body in the fight against the virus issued detailed guidelines on who can use it and how.
The ICMR has made it clear that only symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of people who tested positive in the laboratory should use the home test. “Indiscriminate testing is not advised,” the top medical body said.
“All individuals who test positive may be considered as true positives and no repeat testing is required… All symptomatic individuals who test negative by RAT should get themselves immediately tested by RTPCR,” the ICMR said.
Apart from increasing the gap between the two doses of Covishield vaccines to 12 to 16 weeks, the expert group also recommended that those who are getting the infection should defer their vaccination. On Wednesday, the rest of the proposals were also accepted.
In its list of changes, the ministry said lactating women can be vaccinated, but the Centre will deliberate further regarding the vaccination of pregnant women.
According to the new vaccination rule:
- Those who have lab test-proven SARS-2 Covid-19 illness can defer their vaccination by three months after recovery.
- SARS-2 Covid-19 patients who have been given anti-SARS-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma can also defer their vaccination for 3 months after discharge from the hospital.
- Individuals who have received at least the 1st dose and got Covid-19 infection before completion of the dosing schedule should defer their second dose by 3 months.
- Persons with any other serious general illness requiring hospitalisation or ICU care should also wait for 4-8 weeks before vaccination.
- An individual can donate blood after 14 days of either receipt of Covid-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR negative if suffering from Covid-19 disease.
- Covid-19 vaccination is recommended for all lactating women, but no decision yet for pregnant women.
- There is no requirement for screening of the vaccine recipients by rapid antigen test (RAT) prior to Covid-19 vaccination.
