Why Covid-19 positive should defer vaccination for 6 months post recovery?

New Delhi, May 13: A government panel has stated that those having laboratory test proven SARS-CoV-2 illness should defer COVID-19 vaccination for six months after recovery.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), an advisory group on the Covid-19 vaccines, also recommended that the gap between the two doses of Covishield, which was earlier six to eight weeks, be increased to 12 to 16 weeks. This announcement comes amid acute shortage of vaccines across the country.

According to the current protocol, vaccine must be taken four to eight weeks after recovery from COVID-19 infection.

"Based on the available real life evidence particularly from the UK, the COVID-19 working group agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine. No change in interval of Covaxin vaccine doses was recommended," the sources said.

Currently, the recommended interval between two doses of Covishield is four to eight weeks.

NTAGI's recommendations will now be sent to the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) for approval.

The recommendations come amid several states reporting shortage of vaccines.

In case of individuals who have received the first dose and before completion of the dosing schedule if they test positive for COVID-19, they should wait for 4-8 weeks after clinical recovery from the illness.

Also, COVID-19 patients who have been given anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma may defer COVID-19 vaccination for three months from the day of discharge from hospital, the recommendations stated.

Individuals having any other serious illness requiring hospitalisation or ICU care should also wait for 4-8 weeks before getting the next COVID vaccine, it added.