New Delhi: In light of the fact that regular vaccines are insufficient to keep people safe from the mutated strains of COVID-19, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr. Randeep Guleria said, mixing doses of two different vaccines might increase its effectiveness.
‘Fighting more infectious variants like Delta Plus and Delta is possible through mixing two different COVID-19 vaccines. However, more data is required before final approval is given to combine two vaccines,’ Dr. Guleria said in an interview.
He further said, ‘Early studies indicate that combining two different shots could be an alternative. We need to study which two vaccines could be combined for effective results. But certainly, this might increase vaccine efficacy.’
Recently, the government said that under its new vaccination policy, scientists will study various combinations of Covid-19 vaccine doses to see if this could lead to more efficacy. Dr. Guleria also rejected anxieties that vaccines would be ineffective against the Delta Plus variant. ‘We need more data to conclude that the mutated strain is capable of rendering vaccines ineffective,’ the AIIMS director said.
Delta plus is a mutation of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India and believed to be behind the devastating second wave that was at its peak in the country during April-May. Many experts have predicted that the Delta plus variant may lead to a third wave in the near future, though the top doctor commented that the potential third wave would not be as appalling as the second wave of the pandemic.
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