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Mixing Covaxin and Covishield induces four times more antibodies: Study

The Spike-protein neutralizing antibodies found in the mixed vaccine groups were significantly higher than the same-vaccine groups

Covaxin, Covishield, serum institute of india, bharat biotech, vaccine, vaccination, coronavirus, covid
AIG Hospitals has shared the data from the study with the ICMR to be considered as a reference study while deciding on the prevention doses starting January 10
Sohini Das Mumbai
3 min read Last Updated : Jan 04 2022 | 12:45 AM IST
It is safe to mix Covishield (AstraZeneca vaccine) and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech vaccine) and mixing induces four times more antibodies than giving the same vaccine dose, showed a study conducted by a Hyderabad-based private hospital. The hospital has shared its findings with India’s apex health research body the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

A total of 330 healthy volunteers — who were not vaccinated and had no history of Covid-19 infection — were screened for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for the study conducted by AIG Hos­pitals, along with researchers from the Asian Healthcare Foundation.

Of them, 44 (13 per cent) participants were found to be sero-negative, which means they didn’t have Covid-19 related antibodies. “One of the incidental findings of the study is the sero-positivity among our population. Eighty-seven per cent participants who didn’t get vaccinated and never tested positive for Covid had the Covid-related antibodies. This means our population might have developed significant antibodies against coronavirus because of the huge Delta wave that we endured,” said D Nageshwar Reddy, chairman, AIG Hospitals.

These 44 sero-negative participants were divided into two four groups and administered Covishield and Covaxin in different combinations. All 44 participants were followed for 60 days to see if there’re any adverse effects.

“The study showed that mixing of vaccines is absolutely safe as none of the participants developed any adverse effect,” the hospital claimed.

The most important finding of the study was that the spike-protein neutralising antibodies found in the mixed vaccine groups were significantly higher than the same-vaccine groups.

Reddy, who is also among the researchers involved in the study, said: “Spike-protein neutralising antibodies are the ones that kill the virus and reduce the overall infectivity. We found that when the first and second doses are of different vaccines, the spike-protein antibody response is four times higher compared to two-dose of the same vaccine.”

This is particularly important when considering the third shot or a booster dose. “Mixed doses can certainly boost these Spike-protein neutralising antibodies and will enhance the vaccines’ effectiveness even against the Omicron variant,” Reddy added.


Group 1: First Dose Covishield + Second Dose of Covishield

Group 2: First Dose of Covaxin + Second Dose of Covaxin

Group 1 and 2 were the homologous vaccine groups in which the same vaccine had been given and relevant antibody titers were checked.

Group 3: First Dose of Covishield + Second Dose of Covaxin

Group 4: First Dose of Covaxin + Second Dose of Covishield

Group 3 and 4 were the heterogenous vaccine groups in which different vaccines were given and antibody titers were checked.

Topics :CoronavirusCoronavirus VaccineCoronavirus Tests

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