India is aggressively pursuing its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 after a slow start. Till September 24, more than 848 crore doses have been given across the country. India may touch the milestone of 100 crore doses by the end of next month. More than half the adult population has had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, although the government and health experts are urging citizens to complete their vaccinations by getting a second dose as well.
However, some people have missed their second shot within the stipulated time frame due to various reasons. At least 3.94 lakh people in Tamil Nadu, according to an August 17 report in The Hindu, missed out on their second shot of Covaxin.
Experts suggest that those who could not get their second shot in time, may go for antibody tests. Dr Arun Sharma, Director, National Institute for Implementation Research of Non-Communicable Diseases of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said the government constantly informs citizens about their pending shots until a person is fully vaccinated. . If the person still fails to take the second dose, Dr. Sharma suggests that he seek the help of a specialist.
Dr Sharma said one can either go for another shot or do an antibody test before vaccination. He said that the antibody test would help in finding out the number of antibodies produced by the first dose. People with insufficient antibodies can go for re-vaccination but after consulting a doctor.
He also noted that no research or study has been done to conclude whether a person can go for vaccination if the second dose is delayed or if antibodies are not produced due to other reasons. Dr Sharma also highlighted that there are no government guidelines for possible measures to delay the second shot.
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