Karnataka: Raichur medico who took Pfizer vaccine for 1st dose now in a fix

BENGALURU: A 20-year-old first year MBBS student of Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences, who took a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine while visiting her parents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before flying back, is now in a fix since the vaccine is unavailable in India and she cannot take the second dose.
The girl had to rush back since MBBS classes resumed and internal exams began.First year exams are slated to be held in January next year and since there is a likelihood that only candidates who are fully vaccinated can appear for the exam, the college has asked the girl to consult experts and get fully vaccinated to ensure she does not face a problem when the exams come around.
However, officials too are in a quandary since there is no policy on what should be done in such a case as the Pfizer vaccine is unavailable in India. There are no guidelines on taking different vaccines for each dose. The college on Thursday broached the issue with the district reproduction and child health officer (RCHO), who oversees vaccination.
Dr Shivappa Hatnoor, nodal officer for Covid-19 vaccination, Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences, clarified: “At the moment there is no rule which states that one must be fully vaccinated to sit for the exam. But if Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences does come up with such a mandate, the student should not be in trouble. So, we asked her to consult doctors and discuss the matter with her family.”
The student told TOI that she joined the course in January and attended online classes for a month. She also attended on-campus classes from February to April. “When the lockdown was imposed to contain the second Covid-19 wave, I moved to Riyadh to be with my parents. While in Riyadh, I took my first dose of Pfizer vaccine on August 15. I returned on August 26 to Raichur as the second internal assessment was beginning from August 27,” she said.
Pfizer stipulates a 21-day interval between doses for its vaccine and she was due for the second dose on September
2. “I returned to India to ensure that I don’t miss my second internal assessment,” the girl said. “I had already missed the first internal assessment in July. I didn’t realise Pfizer will not be available in India even till date.”
The girl studied in Bahrain till class 9. When her parents moved to Riyadh, she flew back to India and enrolled for class 10 to II PU in institutions in Bidar district, where she lived with her extended family.
When contacted, Dr Vijaya K, RCHO, Raichur district, confirmed that the issue was brought to her notice, but admitted that she too didn’t know how to proceed since the case is unique. “She cannot be given a second dose of Covishield or Covaxin,” Dr Vijaya said. “We also don’t know if she has to be vaccinated afresh. The college has been asked to write to the department seeking further directions.”
Dr Vijaya said that based on the information given by the college, she had checked with authorities in charge of immunisation in the state health department and was told that she should not be given Covishield as a second dose.
“This is a rare scenario and a unique one. There are no clear answers yet,” said a senior official from the health department.
Meanwhile, the girl has no plans to travel to Riyadh to take the second dose of Pfizer there, as she will have to stay in quarantine for 14 days at her own expense. Even when she travelled in April, she had to spend 14 days in quarantine in another country (Bahrain) as per rules then. She reached her Riyadh home only in June after completing another mandatory two weeks of institutional quarantine in Riyadh.