Centre Asked If 84-Day Gap Between 2 CoviShield Doses Due To Efficacy Or Availability

The court said if availability was the reason for the gap, then those who are able to afford to buy it, like Kitex has, they should be allowed to take the second dose without waiting for 84 days as per the prevailing protocol.

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked the Centre whether the 84-day gap between two doses of CoviShield was based on availability of the vaccine or its efficacy. The query to the central government came from Justice PB Suresh Kumar while hearing a plea by Kitex Garments Ltd seeking permission to administer the second dose of CoviShield vaccine to its workers. The judge also said that if efficacy was the reason for the gap, then he was "worried" as he was administered the second dose within 4-6 weeks of the first dose. The court said if availability was the reason for the gap, then those who are able to afford to buy it, like Kitex has, they should be allowed to take the second dose without waiting for 84 days as per the prevailing protocol.