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Coronavirus

are mixing vaccines the way ahead?

(16 Posts)
Dogsmakemesmile Sun 02-May-21 14:34:20

Just wondered if anyone knows if mixing the vaccines a viable way of ensuring everyone obtains two jabs? Has anyone had two different vaccines?

Whitewavemark2 Sun 02-May-21 14:55:55

They are looking into it I believe and trials are taking place. No one has had two different jabs yet as far as I am aware.

Redhead56 Sun 02-May-21 16:44:48

I don’t think it’s a good idea to mix vaccines as it could be a different composition of ingredients. I have had both my vaccines now Astra Zeneca. I think I would have refused the second vaccine if it was different.

suziewoozie Sun 02-May-21 16:50:54

As WW said, there are clinical trials in progress. It’s not a matter to have an opinion on but proper evidence. If it works, it would help enormously re logistics and also some are hypothesising it might be more effective. It will be interesting when the findings are published.

EllanVannin Sun 02-May-21 16:50:55

500 people hospitalized after Covid jab, with Covid !

Must be idiots who thought it was okay to go out straight away and mix.

Alegrias1 Sun 02-May-21 16:52:19

Like WWM2, I have read that they are trialling using 2 different vaccines but unless you are signed up on the trial you get the same one both times.

I believe the idea of using 2 different vaccines is that they could trigger different bits of your immune system so that could lead to a better response. The "chemicals" in the vaccine don't stay in your body very long.

Whitewavemark2 Sun 02-May-21 16:55:59

Alegrias1

Like WWM2, I have read that they are trialling using 2 different vaccines but unless you are signed up on the trial you get the same one both times.

I believe the idea of using 2 different vaccines is that they could trigger different bits of your immune system so that could lead to a better response. The "chemicals" in the vaccine don't stay in your body very long.

That’s what I’ve read

Whitewavemark2 Sun 02-May-21 17:01:25

Tbh I have learned to be less sceptical. I was very alarmed when the scientists decided to leave 12 weeks between jabs, but look how that turned out?

Casdon Sun 02-May-21 17:22:47

My understanding is that it’s likely that the Autumn booster jab will be one dose of a different type of vaccine to your original one, I haven’t heard anything to suggest that if you have only had one dose of a particular vaccine you will be offered a second dose of the different type as part of your initial vaccination regime, so the recommendation is still that you need both doses of your original vaccine.

So for example, if you have had one dose of Astra Zeneca, that only gives you partial protection. Having one dose of Pfizer after that would still not give you sufficient protection, but if you have had both doses of one type, one dose of the other will potentially boost your immunity further. I may be wrong, but that’s what I’ve understood the scientists are looking at.

suziewoozie Sun 02-May-21 17:45:11

My memory is that originally the raison d’être for the mixing and matching trials was expediency - given potential supply and logistical problems, it was envisaged that matching might be a logistical problem. Then my memory is that trials in mice showed a stronger response so now both questions are being researched. Then there’s now Casdon’s point of the booster jab so all in all very interesting. The more flexibility the better

Alegrias1 Sun 02-May-21 17:50:46

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56730526

Professor Snape ?

maddyone Sun 02-May-21 17:56:11

Whitewavemark2

They are looking into it I believe and trials are taking place. No one has had two different jabs yet as far as I am aware.

What Whitewave said.

BlueSky Sun 02-May-21 19:15:53

I believe in France they are already giving a dose of a different vaccine to people under 65 who first time received the AZ before it became restricted to the older age group. At the beginning I thought it would be an impossibility to mix them as some are viral vector and others mRNA, but looks as if it is possible if not even preferable! Exactly like the gap between jabs, people were worried when it was announced that they would be given with a longer time lapse, but then it appeared that that way the vaccine was even more effective!

Dogsmakemesmile Sun 02-May-21 19:17:27

Very grateful for people's thoughts.

Witzend Sun 02-May-21 19:23:28

Ellanvannin, my sister who lives in the US, told me the other day about a male friend who had his first jab - and promptly went to Brazil to visit his girlfriend!
Now he’s come back with COVID - probably one of their delightful variants.
Honestly, assuming anyone ever reads the news, you can hardly credit such stupidity.
Apparently he’s ‘obsessed’ with the girlfriend, so it’s the old, old story of brains in trousers.

Casdon Sun 02-May-21 20:12:03

This what I’d seen about the booster doses.
www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1116
It’s a confusing picture, but putting this and the articleAlegrias1 posted it looks like in the UK there are both second dose of a different vaccine, and booster dose of a second vaccine after full vaccination with the initial vaccine being trialed.