Pfizer versus AZ Vaccine.

In days of old when knights were bold etc etc. WHO knew ANYTHING about vaccines other than medics??? The problem now is that everyone's an expert thanks to tinternet. Personally I think it's short sighted to rush into a 3rd jab when only 3% of African citizens have had even 1!!! They surely need it more than the rich west? Also it's in areas where virus is free to run unchallenged that mutations develop that can so easily be able to dodge our magic bullets, so where will we ALL bethen? I'll tell you, we'll be stuck in a permanent state of fear and lockdown regretting at leisure our greed and selfishness. I won't rush to be vaccinated a third time as I think the close to 90% protection I probably have plus good practices will suffice until the whole planet's citizens have had a chance to be protected at least once!

I am immunocompromised and had the AZ vaccine. My daughter, my friend and her son all got the phizer. My daughter, my friend and her son have all had covid. I have not. My friend and my daughter both were quite ill for about a week. My friend's son said his was no worse than a head cold. We are all thankful none of us got really bad and admitted to hospital. I shall be happy to take any booster when offered.

Redhead56

I am concerned because we had the Astra Zeneca vaccines. But the booster are not AZ I don’t like the idea of mixing the medication.

Listening to Dr Chris Smith on the radio the other night he said that giving a different vaccine as a booster from your original two jabs gives extra protection due to the different makeup.
I had AZ and will be happy to get a booster of anything.

Why worry about "mixing" vaccines? If you have an annual flu jab you are not likely to be getting the same one year after year same with antibiotics/meds etc made by different pharmaceutical companies. I had Pfizer daughter had AZ, same hub different times and grateful to get them. A neighbour, double jabbed, is still recovering from covid and is sure had they not been vaccinated would have been in hospital rather than at home. Five weeks on and is up and out but still extremely tired and weak. I still wear my mask in shops and keep my distance where I can but am trying to get back to some sort of "normal" just taking precautions that are simple to do.

deanswaydolly

Had 2 doses of AZ. Experienced expected side effects. Have ME, fibro and digestive disorders. Not had flu jab for years as was really ill for 3 weeks after. Still working, worried about having a different one.Anyone else with other ailments offer advice?

I’ve had two doses of AZ with no side effects. I have Polymyalgia Rheumatica, an auto immune disease for which I take steroids. I’m very happy to have a booster if any brand if vaccine.

We also had the AZ one and were glad to get it. I feel that certain cou tries have tried to discredit AZ as they want you to take their more expensive therefore more profit for them vaccines. I feel proud that the AZ one was sold as cheaply as they could which to me seems a much more caring attitude in the middle of a pandemic. AZ should be congratulated. But in this money grabbing world we live in unfortunately that is not the case.

Buttercup1954

We also had the AZ one and were glad to get it. I feel that certain cou tries have tried to discredit AZ as they want you to take their more expensive therefore more profit for them vaccines. I feel proud that the AZ one was sold as cheaply as they could which to me seems a much more caring attitude in the middle of a pandemic. AZ should be congratulated. But in this money grabbing world we live in unfortunately that is not the case.

That is what I’ve been thinking for a long time now. So much bad publicity for the AZ vaccine.

AstraZeneca didn't help themselves much right at the beginning, when it was shown that their testing was flawed. I think there's been suspicion about transparency for some time.

HannahLoisLuke

Redhead56

I am concerned because we had the Astra Zeneca vaccines. But the booster are not AZ I don’t like the idea of mixing the medication.

Listening to Dr Chris Smith on the radio the other night he said that giving a different vaccine as a booster from your original two jabs gives extra protection due to the different makeup.
I had AZ and will be happy to get a booster of anything.

I’m part of the trials to see whether it’s better to mix vaccines or give more of the same. And, in spite of the many experts, like Chris Smith ?, there are as yet no firm findings and won’t be for a while.

Because research takes time and gathering and analysing data takes time.

The only conclusion so far is that a booster, of an kind, increases antibodies in the blood. We don’t even know how lng for, let alone which is best.

In fact they are looking for participants in a trial of a new vaccine that combines two spike proteins. Volunteer and you will get real information by email.

So everything that anybody says is just speculation.

At the moment NOBODY KNOWS!

PS. Both my doses were Oxford/AstraZeneca and I had no side effects at all. I have no idea whether they worked.

So everything that anybody says is just speculation.

At the moment NOBODY KNOWS!

Is that right? Apart from the Spanish, the Germans, the Koreans, the Russians, the Philippinos, and the Oxford team

Nobody knows.

www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/features/covid-19-vaccine-mixing-astrazeneca-pfizer/

Umm, that’s exactly what I said.

We know that giving a booster shot generates more antibodies.

How effective the different regimes are won’t and can’t be known till later because you can only know about long term effects after a long term

Duh!

BlueBelle

It shouldn’t be a divide this is awful saying ones better than the other and all these rumours and counter rumours
They are equally safe they are equally helpful as any vaccine given in these unprecedented times can be
My friend in Africa had the China vaccine and was tremendously grateful there was none of this, mine might be 2 % less effective They took and were thankful
I think the rumours in Australia and other countries about AZ have been terrible be blooming glad we ve got what we ve got and think of all the countries that haven’t had a look in yet

Absolutely spot on Bluebelle.

I think we should all be grateful for any vaccines that we are offered.

Us oldies are very lucky to be offered a third dose.
I really don’t think it matters if they mix them up.

We are a nation of fusspots.

Chris Smith does know what he's talking about, but the only reference I can find to anything he's said is that, in his opinion, there should be targeted boosters (which, I believe, is what is happening). In the interview I read, he also said that they will be beneficial, but we don't yet know just how long any "boosted" immunity will last, which isn't surprising. As Peasblossom wrote, nobody can know long term effects until after a long term.

Alegrias1

^So everything that anybody says is just speculation.^

At the moment NOBODY KNOWS!

Is that right? Apart from the Spanish, the Germans, the Koreans, the Russians, the Philippinos, and the Oxford team

Nobody knows.

www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/features/covid-19-vaccine-mixing-astrazeneca-pfizer/

Maybe I'm misreading that article, but I think that's about giving one dose of AZ followed by one dose of Pfizer. It's not about boosters, although I don't see why the theory should be any different.

Agreed growstuff.

Although since the vaccine doesn't stay around in your body but dissipates very quickly, leaving your immune system to do the job itself, I expect the outcome will be the same.

But then, I'm not on any trials. Duh!

Az, pfizer does it matter? All that matters is you can still catch it but will not need a hospital bed or die from it.

DH (80) had the Pfizer vaccine, I (71) had the AZ one. Neither of us had any problems. We'll be happy to received whichever booster we're offered.

Also been told today that our GP practice will be doing Flu jabs in about a weeks time. If they offer the Covid booster and Flu jab at the same time we'll be happy with that too.

Both of our shots were AZ and we were profoundly grateful for them.

Elvis58

Az, pfizer does it matter? All that matters is you can still catch it but will not need a hospital bed or die from it.

Yes Elvis hopefully. I understand that those who sadly still died most were elderly and/or with previous serious conditions.

51,281 Covid deaths were recorded between 2nd Jan 21 and 2nd July 21.

256 of these had had the double vaccine.

The median age of these was 85.

34 were immunocompromised.

So most of those who died in this period were those who had not been fully vaccinated.

Just a thought, who are ‘The elderly’? Our parents’ generation? Certainly not us!

DH and I are 60 , he is CEV ( clinically extremely vulnerable ) we both received the AZ.
I would have preferred Pfizer but still happy to receive any vaccine.
I have heard the booster will be Pfizer full dose (1 vaccination ) or Moderna half dose.

I have ME and was pretty sick each time after AstraZeneca but not so bad the second time. I dread having a booster. Also a booster with a different vaccine. Who knows what will happen to me. But i will probably go ahead. I have never had a flu vaccine. Because some people with ME are OK but some are very ill afterwards. And you don’t know which one you will be. I think having more than one vaccine at a time is a strain on anybody. Better to space them a bit. For the individual. But better for the community as a whole and cheaper to get on with it and give them together. Vaccines do have a risk to a few people. But if they are not too many, the individual is sacrificed for the herd. This is life.