Fact Check: Will A Third Booster Dose Work Well For Covishield?

New Delhi: Trials are still on, but it seems more and more certain that a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be recommended before long.

The Financial Times reported that a study has found a third booster dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being manufactured by the name of Covishield in India, works well in tackling novel coronavirus disease.

FT quoted a source as saying that the yet-to-be-published research has found the booster dose enhances antibodies in a person against the coronavirus spike protein.

Significantly, the booster shot led to an antibody reaction that was “strong enough to tackle any variant” of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease.

It’s not clear when the findings of the study, which has been conducted by Oxford University, will be released officially.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is currently administered in two doses, at a gap of eight weeks in the UK and between 12-16 weeks in India.

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has permitted Bharat Biotech to trial a third booster dose of its vaccine Covaxin.