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COVID-19 / Re: Would an extended dosage interval work for the Oxford vaccine?
« on: 12/01/2021 23:43:46 »
The Pfizer vaccine trials did not compare different dose spacing or compare one with two doses. So there is no evidence for the wider spacing between doses.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca trials did include different spacing between doses. It showed that a longer gap of two to three months led to a greater immune response, but the overall participant numbers were small.
They found that vaccine efficacy 14 days after a second dose was higher in the group that had more than six weeks between the two doses (65.4%) than in the group that had less than six weeks between doses (53.4%).
Press reports have focussed more on the relative size of the doses rather than the spacing. Given the shortage of vaccine the decision has been made to go with the wider spacing and give as many people as possible their first dose.
Because max immunity doesn’t occur until after the second dose it is important that those vaccinated with the first dose, and those in contact with them, should continue to take mask and distancing precautions.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca trials did include different spacing between doses. It showed that a longer gap of two to three months led to a greater immune response, but the overall participant numbers were small.
They found that vaccine efficacy 14 days after a second dose was higher in the group that had more than six weeks between the two doses (65.4%) than in the group that had less than six weeks between doses (53.4%).
Press reports have focussed more on the relative size of the doses rather than the spacing. Given the shortage of vaccine the decision has been made to go with the wider spacing and give as many people as possible their first dose.
Because max immunity doesn’t occur until after the second dose it is important that those vaccinated with the first dose, and those in contact with them, should continue to take mask and distancing precautions.
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