The COVID-19 Working Group has agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine but there is no change in interval of Covaxin vaccine doses

The gap between two doses of Covishield Vaccine has been extended from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks based on the recommendation of COVID Working Group but there is no extension for Covaxin. 

The COVID Working Group chaired by Dr. N. K. Arora has recommended extension of the gap between the first and second doses of Covishield vaccine to 12-16 weeks from earlier recommendation of 6-8 weeks. 

Based on the available real-life evidence, particularly from the UK, the COVID-19 Working Group has agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine but there is no change in interval of Covaxin vaccine doses. 

The COVID Working Group comprises following members: Dr. N. K. Arora, Director, INCLEN Trust; Dr. Rakesh Agarwal, Director and Dean, JIPMER, Puducherry; Dr. Gagandeep Kang, Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore; Dr. J. P. Mulliyal, Retd. Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore; Dr. Naveen Khanna, Group Leader, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), JNU, New Delhi; Dr. Amulya Panda, Director, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi; and Dr. V. G. Somani, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Government of India. 

The recommendation of the COVID Working Group was accepted by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) headed by Dr. V. K. Paul, Member - Health, Niti Aayog in its meeting on 12th May 2021. 

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also accepted this recommendation of the COVID Working Group for extension of the gap between the first and second doses of Covishield vaccine to 12-16 weeks.