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Canada has done it. Several European countries are doing it. Will other countries of the world feel confident enough to mix-and-match vaccines to combat Covid-19? For example, giving AstraZeneca doses to Pfizer or Moderna recipients.
Some scientific studies do suggest that there are reasons why countries are going for such experiments. According to an article published in Nature magazine last month, preliminary results from a trial of over 600 people showed the benefits of combining different vaccines. [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01359-3]
Besides being effective and safe, there is another reason why governments are exploring two different vaccines approach. Shortages and skewed supply of different vaccines have meant that wait for the same dose has gotten longer, so mix-and-matching could reduce the pressure on vaccine suppliers.
The World Health Organization is also leaning towards supporting the mix and match initiatives. Alejandro Cravioto, WHO Chair of Strategic Management, recently said, that the organization was aware of AstraZeneca first dose followed by a Pfizer vaccine as a second dose that it knew for sure that it can be done “without any problems in the sense of efficacy.”
Experts say that mixing doses of different vaccines are not new for immunologists. For instance, researchers have long been exploring mixing and matching for HIV vaccination as the HIV virus requires a complex immune reaction that would be near impossible to achieve with one type of vaccine. [https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/it-safe-mix-and-match-covid-19-vaccines]
When the mix-and-match for vaccines was raised in India recently, there was much criticism of those suggestions.
Some scientists are against rushing in with mix-and-match of vaccine, and they are calling for more scientific and clinical trials.
Read more:
Safe to mix vaccines, says WHO:
https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-14/Mixing-and-matching-AstraZeneca-and-Pfizer-works-say-WHO-experts-114pSzEXN0Q/index.html
Why mixing and matching COVID vaccines could help solve many rollout problems:
https://theconversation.com/can-i-get-astrazeneca-now-and-pfizer-later-why-mixing-and-matching-covid-vaccines-could-help-solve-many-rollout-problems-161404
Why combining the Oxford vaccine with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine could make it more effective:
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/coronavirus-why-combining-oxford-vaccine-russias-sputnik-v-vaccine-could-make-it