Lancet article makes a case that those who took Covishield vaccine need booster shots

• The latest study, which was conducted in Brazil and Scotland, reportedly showed that the effectiveness of the vaccine reduced 18-19 weeks after the second shot of the Astrazeneca vaccine.
• The study went on to conclude that those who took the Covishied vaccine may need to consider booster shots.
• Business Insider has reached out to Serum Institute of India for comments and will update the story if and when we receive a response.

Amid heated debates on whether people should be told to get booster shots of vaccine, in the face of a fresh outbreak of Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, a new article published in the Lancet weighs in favour of additional jabs.

This was based on a study of those who got Covishied, developed by Astrazeneca and sold by the Serum Institute in India.

The latest study, which was conducted in Brazil and Scotland, reportedly showed that the effectiveness of the vaccine reduced 18-19 weeks after the second shot of the Astrazeneca vaccine.

Reduced effectiveness can be read as higher chances of need for hospitalisation and even deaths. The study went on to conclude that those who took the Covishied vaccine may need to consider booster shots.

This may be significant for India as the biggest chunk of those vaccinated in the country have been given Covishield jabs. As of December 21, 2021, more than 89% of the vaccine doses administered in India were Covishield.

Business Insider has reached out to Serum Institute of India for comments and will update the story if and when we receive a response.

In Brazil, the vaccine effectiveness was found to be generally lower as compared to Scotland. The randomised trials revealed that the vaccine’s effectiveness improved up to 4-5 weeks after the second dose and started decreasing at 18-19 weeks.

The report further highlighted that the patterns for COVID hospitalisation and deaths were broadly similar in both the countries.

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