CMC’s mixed vaccine study sent to Lancet for pre-print publication

VELLORE: CMC hospital’s mixed vaccine study report has been sent to the American medical journal Lancet for pre-print publication, according to the study’s principal investigator Dr Winsley Rose.

“This allows the study report to be accessed by everyone before it’s peer reviewed,” said Dr Rose.

The study began in September 2021 to see how Covaxin and Covishield vaccines interacted in patients when they were given as booster dose in an interchanged manner.

“Lab testing and analysis is currently underway for 200 volunteers each from Covishield and Coviaxin who were given interchanged booster doses. The results are expected to be clear in around 2 months,” elaborated Dr Rose. “The longevity provided by each vaccine is also yet to be estimated.”

Similarly, a parallel study is on with 500 persons who were unvaccinated and thus were given interchanged vaccines for the second dose. “The second dose was given 56 days after the first dose. As the second dose was administered 6 months ago, we’re analysing their results to know the efficacy of each vaccine. These results will be known in 2 weeks,” he added.

An initial study report, which revealed that the best outcome was when Covishield vaccine was given as booster dose to those already vaccinated with Covaxin, was submitted to the DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) in May 2021.