In a 35-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire Dr. K. Srinath Reddy also said that given the fear that India could experience a second spike and given the high levels of vaccine hesitancy during the first six weeks of the vaccine roll out starting 16th January, his advice to the government is that it should accept the WHO guidelines announced on the 10th of February that the interval between the two doses of AstraZeneca should be increased from 28 days to somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks. Increasing the gap between the doses would ensure more people get one dose quickly and are thus protected if there is a second spike. (The Hindustan Times on Saturday 27th reported that government data says on average nationwide only 48% of people entitled to take the vaccine have so far done so).

In the interview to The Wire, Dr. Reddy said that it would make sense for the government to tackle the districts where Covid cases are worryingly increasing by an enhanced and comprehensive effort to vaccinate the vulnerable in these districts. This should happen alongside the calibrated nationwide roll out that is underway. He said in the districts where Covid cases are increasing “the vulnerable are at greater risk and there’s need for an increased effort in these districts”.