When talking of the vaccine mix, it should be highlighted that only the Astra Zeneca-Pfizer combination has been tested and authorised by the World Health Organisation to date.
A reckless risk!
The 50 year old couple from the North took the risk of getting vaccinated last week with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine despite having already received a dose of Sinopharm. The couple went to another vaccination centre outside their home area and lied about their first vaccination. They were then given the American single-dose vaccine, which seems more trustworthy and cause their eligibility to travel. However, they were discovered by the campaign’s verification unit that tracks each vaccinated patient. Reported to the police, the concerned individuals were apprehended and placed under observation. They revealed that they were not aware that this vaccine mix was prohibited.
An unprecedented case
After studying this case, which he attributes to a “lack of trust in a Chinese made vaccine“, Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur says: “The Johnson & Johnson is a single dose that replaces two doses of vaccine. And they already had a dose of Sinopharm in their systems. This is an extreme immune system boost so they need to be watched closely as no one knows the real effects of this mix, and it is an unprecedented case. At the moment, the only vaccine mix approved by the WHO is the Pfizer-Astra Zeneca. Moderna being an mRNA vaccine, messenger ribonucleic acid, could possibly be another possibility in the future, but not Sinopharm- Johnson & Johnson. There is some misinformation about the vaccine mix or the third dose or the recommendations for travel without going through a seven-day self-isolation or quarantine.” He recommends maximum vigilance by doctors and nurses in their investigations prior to inoculation. In addition, there should be an awareness campaign on the types of vaccines and the vaccine mix.
The couple, in breach of the Quarantine Act, are now liable to a fine of Rs 500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
