British health officials will now allow people to mix COVID-19 vaccines as the pandemic sinks, but experts warn it could be risky.
The change in vaccine advice, which appears when the country faces a new highly contagious virus mutation, marks a striking deviation from previous guidelines and a completely different approach to vaccine deployment in the United States, according to New York Times.
The UK protocol now states that a person can receive the COVID-19 follow-up shot with a candidate vaccine other than their first dose, if necessary.
Britain has approved two fatal error vaccines, developed by AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
“For people who started the calendar and who attend the vaccination in a place where there is not the same vaccine or if the first product received is unknown, it is reasonable to offer a dose of the product available locally to complete the calendar.” updated target states.
However, the protocol reiterates that it is preferable to receive a second dose of the same vaccine, noting that a different inoculation should only be used if the patient has an “immediate immediate risk” or is considered unlikely to return. ”.
“Under these circumstances, because both vaccines are based on the tip protein, the second dose is likely to help increase the response to the first dose,” he explained.
But the new council has still raised its eyebrows at the scientific community.
“There’s no data on that,” Cornell University vaccine expert John Moore told the Times, adding that UK officials “seem to have completely abandoned science and are just trying to figure out how to get out. of a mess “.
The update also contrasts with the guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which explicitly state that vaccines “are not interchangeable.”
“Any of the currently authorized COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can be used when indicated,” the CDC wrote, noting that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices “does not establish any product preference.”
“However, these COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are not interchangeable with each other or with other COVID-19 vaccine products,” the agency said. “The safety and efficacy of a number of mixed products have not been evaluated.”
The CDC goes on to say that if different doses of vaccines are given “unintentionally,” no additional dose of either vaccine should be given.
When contacted by The Post, the CDC declined to comment on the UK’s updated guidelines and whether it would re-evaluate its own orientation in light of the new board.
The United States has signed two coronavirus vaccines, developed by Pfizer and Moderna.
The UK, which has surpassed 2.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, is battling an increase in infections as a more contagious variant spreads across the country, prompting at least 17 countries to announce bans of British travel.