By: Sunil Kumar
September 3 2021
Drugs Controller General of India approved trials to mix Covaxin and Covishield vaccine doses in India following a similar report by ICMR.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has accepted a research proposal to investigate mixing a dose of each vaccination against COVID-19, Covaxin, and Covishield, Hindustan Times reported. A dose of Covaxin and Covishield will be given to 300 volunteers in the proposed trial. According to ANI News, "Permission has been obtained for a research study on mixing vaccine dosages at CMC Vellore," said Dr. VK Paul, Niti Aayog. The report stated that the study would aim to understand whether two different vaccine doses could be administered on a person to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease instead of the existing practice of administering twin shots of the same vaccine. According to Financial Express, the trial's approval followed an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study in Uttar Pradesh in May 2021, where 18 participants were accidentally administered two different doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. After receiving Covishield as their first dosage, they were given Covaxin as their second dose six weeks later. The vaccination combination was shown to be safe in the ICMR research, with no adverse responses. Additionally, individuals who received a mixed vaccine dose had better immunogenicity than those who received the same vaccine doses. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.