The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI has issued a comparative fact sheet along with regulations, precautions and contraindications to health and family welfare departments and in addition, to the Mission Directors and State Immunization Officers across all states and Union Territories in India on 14 January.

Precautions and Contraindications for COVID-19 Vaccination

1. Under the EUA, only individuals over 18 years of age will be eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccine.
2. Other Vaccines in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine should be administered over an interval of minimum 14 days.
3. There can be NO interchangeability of the COVID-19 vaccine. The second dose needs to be of the same vaccine as the first one.
4. Pregnant and lactating women cannot be administered either of the COVID-19 vaccines as they have not been tested on such individuals.
5. If a person develops anaphylactic or allergic reaction after being administered the first dose – the second dose needs to be avoided.
6. Vaccine has to be delayed for a period of 4-8 weeks post recovery for those individuals:
   1.  who have active symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection,
   2. SaRS-CoV-2 patients who have been given anti-SaRS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma
   3. Acutely unwell and hospitalized patients due to any illness.
7. Special care in administering vaccine to persons with history of bleeding or coagulation disorder.
8. Following persons are also eligible for COVID-19 vaccination:
   1. Past history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or RT=PCR positive illness
   2. History of chronic diseases and morbidities
   3. HIV or other immune-deficiency positive persons (response to vaccine may be lower)

1. COVISHIELD is a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine based on Viral Vector Technology, which means that it is a vaccine that uses a virus that has been genetically engineered so that it can’t cause disease, but produces Coronavirus proteins to safely generate an immune response. COVAXIN, on the other hand is a Whole-Virion inactivated CORONA Virus Vaccine, which means that it uses a form of the coronavirus that has been inactivated or weakened so it does not cause the disease, but still generates and immune response.
2. Total no. of doses in each vial of COVISHIELD has 10 doses of 0.5ml each, while a COVAXIN vial has 20 doses of 0.5ml each.
3. Shelf life of each Vaccine is 6 months and the vaccine has to be administered in 2 doses 4-weeks apart.
4. Both the vaccines are intramuscular injectibles.

Post Vaccination reactions

1. COVISHIELD administration: may cause mild AEFI like injection site tenderness, injection site pain, headache, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, anthralgia, chills and nausea
2. COVAXIN administration: may cause mild AEFI like injection site pain, headache, fatigue, fever, body pain, abdominal pain, nausea and vomitting, dizziness, giddiness, tremors, sweating, cold, cough and injection site swelling.
3. Paracetamol may be used to provide symptomatic relief from post - vaccination adverse reactions.