<span style="color: #222222;">Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to the States and Union Territories advising them to ensure second dose of Covishield vaccine to beneficiaries within the stipulated time interval of 12 to 16 weeks after the first dose. In a letter to Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs, Mr. Bhushan said that the Union Health Ministry has accepted the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on  Immunization and National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 for revision in schedule of Covishield to administer the second dose at 12 to 16 weeks interval after first dose instead of earlier interval of 6 to 8 weeks. Mr Bhushan requested the Chief Secretaries to instruct the concerned officials to undertake necessary  steps to widely disseminate the message of revised dosing interval amongst programme managers, vaccinators and recipients of Covishield vaccine and ensure adherence of revised dosing interval. He also said that the decision of revised time interval between two doses is applicable only to Covishield and not to Covaxin vaccine.</span><br />''