Mixing, Matching COVID-19 Vaccines A Dangerous Trend: WHO Warns

Mixing COVID-19 vaccines: World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan warned people against the trend of mixing COVID-19 vaccines among different manufacturers on July 12 and termed it as a dangerous trend.

WHO criticised the practice of mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines and called it a dangerous practice as there was little data available about the health impact of the same.

Swaminathan said in an online briefing that we are in a data and evidence-free zone as far as mixing and matching vaccines is concerned

"It will be a chaotic situation in countries" she added, "if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose."

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates In India

On the COVID-19 vaccine front, India's first injection-free vaccine Zydus Cadila is awaiting its approval this week. Having reviewed the data and examined the information provided by the firm earlier this month, the Subject Expert Committee is yet to make a recommendation to the Centre.

On July 9, it was reported that the NITI Aayog along with the Government, is making efforts to make the Moderna COVID vaccine available in India by importing it into the country.

Moderna vaccine being considered for emergency use authorisation, NITI Aayog member Vinod Kumar Paul said, "the government is working diligently with the manufacturers to see how to create this vaccine available in the country and import the same."

Pfizer-BioNTech issued a statement earlier this month that the company’s COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty may require a third dose to work more efficiently against the novel strain of the COVID-19 virus and the Beta and Delta variant as well.

Interim data showed that when compared to the first two doses alone, a third dose of the vaccine can increase antibody levels about five to 10 times higher against the mentioned variants. Read more about it here.