Mixing Corona vaccines raises controversy .. What is going on

With Britain mobilizing to prepare for the worst, the issue of mixing several vaccines, in order to give them to the recipients of the first dose of the Corona vaccine, caused a sensation in the country.

After details of an emergency plan to mix the two approved vaccines in a small number of cases (Pfizer and AstraZeneca or Oxford) were leaked, a number of those responsible for the vaccine system enlisted to defend this view, according to the British newspaper, “The Guardian”.

Recommendation sparks a wave of criticism

The story began after a book issued by British health officials recommended that it “could Submit One dose of a locally available product to complete the schedule if the same vaccine used for the first dose is not available.”

But the report or the book of recommendation added that: “There is no evidence of interchangeability of Covid-19 vaccines, but studies in this framework are still ongoing.”

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"Abandon science"

That observation sparked a wave of controversy and criticism, reinforced with the publication of a report in the “New York Times” that quoted virologist Professor John Moore from Cornell University in the United States as saying, “There are no clear data on this idea (mixing vaccines or postponing the second dose of them). ) at all,” he said, adding that British officials “have given up on science completely, and it seems they are just trying to feel their way out of this mess.”

In turn, the American infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, confirmed, Friday, that he does not agree with the United Kingdom's approach in terms of postponing the second dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. He told CNN that the United States would not follow in Britain's lead, and would follow Pfizer and BioNTech's guidelines for administering the second dose of its vaccine three weeks after the first.

exceptional circumstances

On the other hand, Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at the Department of Public Health England, explained that mixing is not recommended and will only happen in exceptional circumstances.

She also added, "If your first dose is Pfizer, you should not get AstraZeneca for your second dose and vice versa. But there may be very rare cases where the same vaccine is not available, or where it is not known which vaccine the patient has received, when another vaccine may be given.

"Every effort should be made to give them the same vaccine, but if this is not possible, it is better to give a second dose of another vaccine rather than not at all," she added.

This comes in conjunction with receiving warnings from hospitals across Britain that they must prepare for the worst in dealing with the new strain of the mutated Corona virus, and face pressures as great as those faced by healthcare hospitals in London and southeast England.