New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Wednesday accepted the recommendations of National Expert Group on vaccine administration for Covid-19. Under this, the persons, who have been infected by Covid-19, can take their vaccines three months after the recovery.
It also applies to the persons who have received the first dose of the vaccine. The persons, who got infected after taking the first dose of vaccine, will also have to wait for three months for taking the second dose.
As per the new guidelines, the patients who have been treated with plasma therapy should also defer the vaccination by three months. Further, the ministry also said that the lactating women can be vaccinated in future but they will deliberate further for vaccination of pregnant women.
The Centre had earlier approved the recommended to increase the gap between the two doses of Covishield vaccines to 12 to 16 weeks.
New vaccination guidelines:
- Individuals having lab test proven COVID-19 illness: COVID-19 vaccination to be deferred by 3 months after recovery.
- COVID-19 patients who have been given antibodies or convalescent plasma: COVID-19 vaccination to be deferred by 3 months from the date of discharge from the hospital.
- Individuals who have received at least the 1st dose and got COVID-19 infection before completion of the dosing schedule: the 2nd dose should be deferred by 3 months after clinical recovery from COVID-19 illness.
- Persons with any other serious general illness requiring hospitalisation or ICU care should also wait for 4-8 weeks before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
- An individual can donate blood after 14 days of either receipt of COVID-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR negative, if suffering from COVID-19 disease.