Covid-19 vaccines: India may soon opt to 'mix and match' of Sputnik and Covisheild jabs

New Delhi, Aug 03: Amid surging COVID-19 cases, some countries around the globe have opted to mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccines instead of administering the same one. Several countries like the UK, Canada, Italy and the UAE are among those that have allowed mix-and-match inoculation, which scientists hope will have benefits.

The Indian government is also considering allowing people to "freely choose" mixed vaccine jabs for COVID-19 vaccines - as long as both options are of similar platforms, Mint reported.

Meanwhile, Sputnik V/AstraZeneca mix & match clinical trials have been ongoing in UAE, Azerbaijan & Argentina since Feb 2021. Early results are positive.

Earlier, Russia's Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on July 30 that trials mixing a first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine with AstraZeneca's shot revealed no serious side effects and no subsequent coronavirus cases among volunteers.

It added that the full results of the trial, which was approved on July 26 after being suspended in May by the health ministry's ethical committee because of a lack of data, would be published this month.

The World Health Organization said on July 12 the practice was a "dangerous trend" since there was little data available about the health impact, while Europe's drug regulator on July 14 made no definitive recommendations on switching doses.