Daily US Times: A UK study has found that a mix-and-match approach to Covid-19 vaccines – using different brands of jab for first and second doses – gives good protection against the pandemic virus.
The Com-Cov trial looked at the efficacy of either two doses of AstraZeneca or two of Pfizer, or one of them followed by the other.
All combinations worked well, priming the immune system in human body.
Expert says this knowledge could offer flexibility for vaccine rollout.
The trial results also hint that people who have already received two doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine could have a stronger immune response if they were given a different jab as a booster if recommended in the autumn.
Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, the UK’s deputy chief medical officer, said there was no reason to change the current successful same dose vaccine schedules in the UK, however, given vaccines were in good supply and saving lives.
But he says it might be something to look at in the future: “Mixing doses could provide us with even greater flexibility for a booster programme, while also supporting countries who have further to go with their vaccine rollouts, and who may be experiencing supply difficulties.”
Some countries are already using mixed doses of Covid vaccines. Germany and Spain are offering the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines as a second dose to younger people who have already received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, following concerns about rare but serious blood clots, rather than about efficacy.
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