As per the statistics on Google, 10.5 percent of our entire population has been vaccinated. Out of which, three percent have received the second dose. Currently, getting vaccinated is the only way we can protect ourselves from the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 virus.
At present, there are two vaccines available for the public that’s approved by the Indian government. One is AstraZeneca’s Covishield and the other one is Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. Russia’s Sputnik V is another vaccine that has been given green light and it would soon be available to us.
However, with the ever-changing rules of the vaccination drives, a lot of people have a common question. Can one take Covaxin for their second shot if you have taken Covishield for the first or vice versa? We reached out to an expert to give us clarity on this. Scroll down to read what he has to say:
“Although some animal studies have found promising results, the general advice is to not do it,” says Dr Srinivas Kudva, MD, DNB (Cardiology), Consultant, Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. He also warns against mixing vaccines as the long-term side effects are yet to be studied. Nonetheless, call it vaccine scarcity or scientific curiosity, many nations are conducting trials to find out if mixing of two vaccines could be beneficial.
As a matter of fact, there was another study conducted on the topic by researchers from University of Oxford. It showed that people who got the first dose of AstraZeneca shot followed by Pfizer vaccine four weeks later reported more short-lived side effects, most of them mild.
The results of which weren’t exactly great points out Dr Srinivas. “About10% of people were found to have side effects and more severity. As opposed to three percent of people who experienced side effects by the single vaccine,” he explains further
Furthermore, recently, a 72-year-old man from Maharashtra received two doses of different vaccines. The man developed minor complications after the second dose, such as mild fever, rashes in some parts of the body and anxiety attacks.
Dr. Sidhaant Nangia, MBBS, New Delhi also advises against it. He said, “The Ministry of Health and Family welfare says you shouldn’t mix the vaccines, follow the same dose of the vaccine you have taken and right now not much studies have been done so can’t say if it helps. Some tests have been done but for now, we shouldn’t mix it.”
Well, our advice would be to settle for one vaccine and not experiment with two different shots. It’s always best to consult your doctor for further information on the vaccines. And if you haven’t got your first shot yet, we urge you to register for the same as soon as possible.
