Contrary to the approval given by the country’s top drug regulator which said that Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin could be administered to those above 12 years of age, the Union Health Ministry, in a recent communique, has said that both shots are recommended and approved for people above 18 years of age.

Sources said that the Ministry, in a letter issued on January 14, provided comparative details of the two vaccines – Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and University of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield which is being manufactured by Serum Institute of India – approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

The factsheet has details of the vaccines, which will be distributed to cold chain points and vaccination centres for ready reference.

However, in the letter, the Ministry says that both vaccines are recommended and approved for people above 18 years of age. This contradicts the earlier DCGI approval which said that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin could be administered to those above 12 years of age.

The Health Ministry’s letter – under the subhead ‘Precautions and contraindications for COVID-19 vaccination’ reads: “1. Authorised age group: Under the EUA, COVID-19 vaccination is indicated only for 18 years and above. 2. Co-administration of vaccines: If required, COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines should be separated by an interval of at least 14 days. 3. Interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines is not permitted: Second dose should also be of the same COIVD-19 vaccine which was administered as the first dose.”

However, pregnant and lactating women should not be administered the shots as they have not been part of any anti-coronavirus vaccine clinical trial so far, the health ministry said. “Interchangeability of Covid-19 vaccines is not permitted. Second dose should also be of the same Covid-19 vaccine which was administered as the first dose,” the letter written by Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary in the Ministry.

According to the officials, 95 per cent of the 1.1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine purchased by the Government have been delivered and shipped to nearly 60 consignee points across India in last two days. Similarly, of the 55 lakh doses of indigenously developed Covaxin of Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech ordered by the Centre, the first tranche of 2.4 lakh doses have been dispatched to 12 States.