[PPS]

Originally Posted by GTO

I recovered from Covid around Mid-April.
3. What is the best time for me to get the vaccine?

Originally Posted by vivek95

3. Best time for you to get the vaccine is 12 weeks from the 17th day after you tested positive. That should be in total about 15 weeks from the date of you getting the first symptom. You recovered in mid-April, so take your first vaccine shot in mid-July. Hope I did not confuse you here.--Dr. Vivek

Those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are waiting to take the vaccine should defer vaccination for six months after recovery, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended today!

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/stor...034-2021-05-13

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by Gansan

A hypothetical query to doctors. With the central government permitting states and private entities to import vaccines, it seems we will have access to Pfizer / Moderna vaccines in a few months. Can a person who has already taken a dose of Covishield choose to wait for a specific period and go for one of those vaccines? If yes, how long should he wait?

The recommendation presently is to take the same vaccine as your first dose. If first is Covishield, then second be the same, likewise any other vaccine. This is because the type of preparation varies amongst these vaccines. Other senior Docs/experts kindly correct me if I am wrong. Pfizer--BioNtech and Moderna are mRNA based vaccines and are amongst the first ones to come up in the world after proper extensive systematic trials. Their efficacy rates are higher too. Covishield is viral vector based and Covaxin is whole virion inactivated type. There is no such guideline/study that says you can significantly delay and then take a whole new course (the 2 dose schedule) of a different vaccine altogether.

By the way, Pfizer--Biontech (USA--Germany) vaccine should have been made available long back. There's a significant affordable population in our country that could have gone for this vaccine even if it was pricey. I don't understand what bureaucractic hurdle it has hit.

--Dr. Vivek

[drrajasaravanan]

Originally Posted by Gansan

A hypothetical query to doctors. With the central government permitting states and private entities to import vaccines, it seems we will have access to Pfizer / Moderna vaccines in a few months. Can a person who has already taken a dose of Covishield choose to wait for a specific period and go for one of those vaccines? If yes, how long should he wait?

Hi,
Each of the vaccine is different and as of now better not to switch in between them. But when this becomes a annual affair which I strongly suspect it will there will be better clarity and I think we can have choice to move to more efficacious drug.

Originally Posted by PPS

Those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are waiting to take the vaccine should defer vaccination for six months after recovery, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended today!

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/stor...034-2021-05-13

Hi,
I think this is done to stem the demand supply gap and till I see evidence to support this I don't think there is a reason to wait. International standards dictate the direct opposite. The so called advisory is quick to ask the people to wait for 6 months but is yet to give any clarity on many other issues. If anyone can provide any evidence other than news articles I will be grateful.

[NPV]

Folks in Bangalore, please share names/details of any labs that have home collection of blood samples from the Whitefield area. This is for a friend. My contacts are in and around Indiranagar only.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by vivek95

There is no such guideline/study that says you can significantly delay and then take a whole new course (the 2 dose schedule) of a different vaccine altogether.

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hi,
But when this becomes a annual affair which I strongly suspect it will there will be better clarity and I think we can have choice to move to more efficacious drug.

Thanks. When I saw the import news I wondered why not wait a few months and take the Pfizer or Moderna course, even if they cost a few thousand rupees per head.

I took Covishield on March 28th and my second dose is due on May 22nd as per the then revised interval of 8 weeks. But today I saw a news item which says it is again going to be revised as 12-16 weeks.

A friend of mine in Australia took the Astra Zeneca shot on the same day I took my Covishield shot. Even at that time he said his second shot was due after 12 weeks.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And it smells to me like antivaxxer stuff .

In my entirely amateur opinion, I would say that Britain is, right now, proving the effectiveness of mass vaccination.

I'm certainly prepared to be surprised by who turns out to right and who turns out to be wrong. Assuming I live to see it.

I tend to agree with all your points above. The summary in the video is generic. He is not saying anything specific to Covid. If we go by that logic, all vaccination campaigns till now should have been failures which is certainly not the case.

One point to keep in mind though is a comparison with influenza. As I understand, we do not have a good vaccine for it yet. In USA, flu shots are administered every year during the flu season. But still several people get it and it gets serious and fatal in a small percentage of the population who gets it just like Covid. Vaccines are revised every year to account for the new variants from the previous year. But as far as I know, the effectiveness is around 50 percent or less.

Would covid turn out to be like flu? Both viruses hve similarities as per my limited understanding.Request experts here to comment.

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by Gansan

A hypothetical query to doctors. With the central government permitting states and private entities to import vaccines, it seems we will have access to Pfizer / Moderna vaccines in a few months. Can a person who has already taken a dose of Covishield choose to wait for a specific period and go for one of those vaccines? If yes, how long should he wait?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post5044360 (The Coronavirus Thread)

Refer to my post above. Mix and Match trials are underway in many countries - will wait for results to see the comparative outcome in terms of efficacy and safety. Cannot be excluded altogether and in a country like ours, may need to be done out of desperation. No use giving just one dose and waiting endlessly for the supply of the second - it will merely be a waste of the first dose.
Interestingly, the 2 doses Sputnik V are not the same in constitution, but have been deliberately kept non identical to enhance the immune response - that's what they say anyway.

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by Fordlover88

Glad that you are out of danger & wishing you a speedy recovery. My wife(again) & in laws have become covid positive in faridabad. Wife & mother in law are doing well but father in law is in a spot of bother. His symptoms are very much similar to you & is currently in hospital with oxygen support. Steroids & remdesivir is being administered. He is 78 without any health complications. Hope he recovers soon.

Oh gosh, you are on the same boat again Fordlover88. I really hope your father in law recovers soon and wish him a speedy recovery. I am on the road to recovery and getting better each day. It’s been a tough time all around and I can only hope and pray that this gets over. Strength to you and your family. Do reach out if you think I can be of any help,

Regards.

Originally Posted by Gansan

Thanks. When I saw the import news I wondered why not wait a few months and take the Pfizer or Moderna course, even if they cost a few thousand rupees per head.

I took Covishield on March 28th and my second dose is due on May 22nd as per the then revised interval of 8 weeks. But today I saw a news item which says it is again going to be revised as 12-16 weeks.

A friend of mine in Australia took the Astra Zeneca shot on the same day I took my Covishield shot. Even at that time he said his second shot was due after 12 weeks.

This news item which says that timing has been revised to 12-16 weeks is being mentioned by the medical panel. They are hiding behind the shortage of vaccines and are coming up with arbitrary time limits.

Also, it’s a global disgrace that almost 10-12 state governments have floated global tenders for sourcing vaccines independently while the central government exported vaccines gleefully!! When the whole of might of the central government should have been in procuring vaccines at any cost while taking the states into confidence, all we get is marketing jargons and the government missing in action. Besides, many reputed firms like Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson are not being allowed in India under bureaucratic hurdles while the whole country suffers. Only the Russian vaccine Sputnik is supposedly being okayed by the authorities and which has questionable antecedents.

Specially when recent reports says this and I can’t believe authorities are still not convinced about saving lives but their images !!


https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/in...9-6886641.html

[Ragul]

I caught fever yesterday just when its time for 2nd dose. I think it is ordinary fever - no cold no blockage with clear airways and easy effortless breathing, mild stomach issue that I am more inclined to blame the swiggy food source (because it keeps happening when I order from certain restaurants). My health-band SPO2 was strangely dipping to 93 on one occasion before averaging at 95-96 through the day (can other illness lower SPO2 as well?). Not much weakness could do housework for up to 30 mins standing before needing a lie down. I self-reported on Arogya-Setu but looks like since I took at least one dose it is not a priority as I am considered low risk. I strongly feel it is because my AC broke down (discussed on a different thread) the high humidity caused me to sweat profusely all over while vacuuming my house yesterday (wet with sweat like I had just showered) - then I stood directly in front of fan for a while and showered immediately.

I am feeling much better today overnight can sit at computer for 2-3hrs unlike yesterday but still not recovered full stamina. SPO2 back to 98-100s. All I took was Whyral-22 every 8hrs which contains Tulsi thrice a day (works great for fever and chills and my go-to medication for fever) and two paracetamols every 12 hrs.

So now I want to test for covid before I go for the 2nd jab. I dont want a false sense of security after taking the 2nd jab next week with the covid antibodies fighting and rendering the vaccine ineffective.

Is it possible to go visit a clinic for a RT-PCR test outdoors during lockdown? Besides I don't want to create panic in my apartment by having PPE wearing testers make home visits for a test. Nobody has contacted me for testing and I dont think they will considering I got at least one shot and the system is at present overwhelmed.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by vivek95

The recommendation presently is to take the same vaccine as your first dose. If first is Covishield, then second be the same, likewise any other vaccine. This is because the type of preparation varies amongst these vaccines. Other senior Docs/experts kindly correct me if I am wrong. Pfizer--BioNtech and Moderna are mRNA based vaccines and are amongst the first ones to come up in the world after proper extensive systematic trials. Their efficacy rates are higher too. Covishield is viral vector based and Covaxin is whole virion inactivated type. There is no such guideline/study that says you can significantly delay and then take a whole new course (the 2 dose schedule) of a different vaccine altogether. --Dr. Vivek

Agree with you in general. However if a person has taken one dose and then waits say six months and takes a different vaccine, shouldn’t that be alright? The way things are going, it would be around the end of the year before we have any hope of getting overseas vaccines here. Even after two doses, would a person be fine taking a different vaccine after say seven to eight months.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by Zen2001

Interestingly, the 2 doses Sputnik V are not the same in constitution, but have been deliberately kept non identical to enhance the immune response - that's what they say anyway.

Does the Sputnik vaccine not require only one dose to be administered? I remember reading that somewhere.

[himarg]

Originally Posted by Ragul

Is it possible to go visit a clinic for a RT-PCR test outdoors during lockdown? Besides I don't want to create panic in my apartment by having PPE wearing testers make home visits for a test. Nobody has contacted me for testing and I dont think they will considering I got at least one shot and the system is at present overwhelmed.

A few weeks ago I booked home sample collection for RT Pcr test, from Apollo Clinic, HSR Layout. The sample collection person was not wearing a PPE and was normally masked.

If you wish, you can try the same.

If you want to venture out, I would strongly recommend getting a tele consultation first which will provide you with a prescription for RT Pcr test. Cops are quite strict these days, at least on the routes I use regularly. Prescription should enable you to go through the checkpoints smoothly.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Ragul

Is it possible to go visit a clinic for a RT-PCR test outdoors during lockdown? Besides I don't want to create panic in my apartment by having PPE wearing testers make home visits for a test. Nobody has contacted me for testing and I dont think they will considering I got at least one shot and the system is at present overwhelmed.

There is no worry. In my apt complex, Apollo, Anand labs, Thyrocare all are visiting on a daily basis for RT-PCR.

Pls. don't have any fear. We are way beyond that now. If you want a home test, get it done. If positive inform your society so they put in SOP they have come up with.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Does the Sputnik vaccine not require only one dose to be administered? I remember reading that somewhere.

The original is still a two dose vaccine.

The one dose option you are referring to is called Sputnik Light.

[AZT]

Was made aware of this by a friend today. Not sure if this actually does anything but in the long run, a distrust of science can have disastrous consequences.