Coronavirus: What happens if you mix Covishield and Covaxin doses

The vaccination drive in India is still overcoming many logistical obstacles as shortage of doses continues. As the government has tweaked some guidelines to adjust the timeline of doses and partially vaccinating people, is it a good idea to mix a dose of Covaxin and a dose of Covishield?

Getting both the doses of a vaccine is crucial to build protection against coronavirus amid rising cases, and it is also very important not to skip the second dose, even if it has been postponed. Expanding the gap between the doses not more than 6 months will still provide your immune system with a boost.

That being said, what do experts say about mixing different vaccine doses? The answer is a resounding no. Covaxin and Covishield have been made differently and the result may not be favourable. There are also many who are at risk of forming a blood clot and would want to opt for a vaccine that does not pose an issue, so mixing is not recommended.

Mixing vaccines is not a new idea and has been used before, but with drugmakers developing experimental vaccines and medication to curb the global spread of Covid, it is too early to tell if mixing can be done at this point of the inoculation campaign. Studies have been favourable when it came to mixing Covishield and Pfizer vaccine, but for Covaxin and Covishield- no studies have been conducted yet.

With India still struggling with the cases, it is important to focus on getting a jab and leave such medical decisions to the experts. With everyday, scientists learn new things about the virus and how it acts, so just getting some kind of protection is advised.