Two days before the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, the Union Health Ministry has sent to all states and immunization officers, a comprehensive fact sheet for both vaccines — Covaxin and Covishield — that will be used during the initial phase of vaccinating a priority group of 3 crore people.
It contains general information on the vaccine platform, physical specifications, dosage, cold chain storage requirements, and specific guidelines on contraindications (a factor due to which the vaccine is to be withheld to certain categories of people) as well as adverse events that may happen following vaccination. The fact sheet also details special precautions.
The Centre has asked the states and immunisation officers to disseminate the fact sheet to all programme managers, cold chain handlers, and vaccinators before the rollout. The communication comes on the directions of the national drug regulator CDSCO, which, while granting accelerated approvals, had directed manufacturers Serum Institute of India (Covishield) and Bharat Biotech (Covaxin) that the vaccines should be supplied along with the fact sheet and a separate leaflet for the guidance of the healthcare provider.
#The vaccination is only for people over the age of 18 years.
# The vaccines are not interchangeable: the second dose will have to be of the same vaccine that was administered as the first dose.
# The vaccine should be given with “caution” to persons with a history of any bleeding or coagulation disorder — platelet disorder, clotting factor deficiency, or coagulopathy.
# Vaccinators have to store both vaccines at +2°C to +8°C; protect them from light; and discard the vaccine if found to be frozen.