The state government of Maharashtra, on Monday, March 21, has decided to extend the time between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca's Coronavirus vaccine Covishield. The decision was taken as per Centre's instructions which stated that the two doses of Covishield will now be spaced at least 6 to 8 weeks apart. Currently, there is a gap of 28 days between the two doses.
Meanwhile, the Central Government has clarified that this decision will not apply to the other vaccine, Covaxin. According to the officials, the decision comes after fresh research conducted by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and the Vaccination Expert Group.
Besides this, the Centre has also asked the state governments to implement this decision as it is claimed that the effect of the vaccine is getting better if the second dose of the vaccine is given after 6-8 weeks
Currently, coronavirus cases in the country are increasing significantly and the number of new patients and the number of active cases are on a rise every day. Moreover, the number of patients receiving treatment with new patients is not decreasing. Data reveals that in the last 38 days, the number of new patients has increased by over 2 lakh.
As on February 11, 2021, there were a total of 1.33 lakh positive patients in the country. Last Sunday, their number increased to 3.31 lakh. This is the highest number of patients receiving treatment in a single day and it has increased by 25,578.
Earlier on September 10, 2021, a total of 24,610 new patients were found.
Furthermore, a total of 11.6 million people have been affected by the pandemic in the country and over 1.11 crore patients have been cured and more than 1.60 lakh have died due to the infection. At present, more than 3.31 lakh patients are undergoing treatment in the country for COVID-19.