Covid vaccines

[oldcolner]

Surprise, surprise.

Vintage My concern is that our government are ignoring the manufacturers recommendations. Pfizer have already stated that their vaccine has only been tested with the second dose being given 21 days after the first dose, they say there is no evidence to substantiate our governments policy of 12 weeks later for the second dose.

Fear not Vintage

Not a surprise BT

Companies can only promote use of their medicine within the terms of the license which in turn relates to whatever they decided to study. They chose 3 weeks for whatever reason. Probably to get a quick high response rate.

Doctors can use medicines outside those terms and do regularly. For example there are many medicines used in children that have not been used in children’s trials, especially tiny pre term ones, most medicines have not been tested in pregnant women and use is generally not advised by companies. Thus doctors assess risks and benefits and discuss with patients where possible.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination-and Immunisation advises on who gets what,

The MHRA approves the vaccines and 12 weeks is not outside their approval of either product. The first dose sets up antibody responses and the second enhances that so you may have 60% cover from the first dose as with flu vaccine and 90 -95 from the second. Giving the second dose later will also mean immunity will last 8 weeks longer.

Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 is administered intramuscularly after dilution as a series of two doses (0.3 mL each) at least 21 days apart (see section 5.1).

The COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca vaccination course consists of two separate doses of 0.5 ml each. The second dose should be administered between 4 and 12 weeks after the first dose (see section 5.1).

Doctors have decided it’s better to give as many folk their first dose and delay the second dose.

You may remember for some vaccines the JCVI recommends the second dose is a year or more after the first. Eg MMR, whilst Flu and shingles are one injection only

https://assets.publishing.service.go...n_schedule.pdf