The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines globally has raised hopes of controlling the pandemic. Accidentally mixing of vaccines has been in the news recently. However, now, a research study in Spain has found that a combination of two vaccines may in fact give a better efficacy result and is also safe.

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Vaccine combinations

Researchers have been experimenting with combining COVID-19 vaccines to improve their efficacy and address vaccine shortage.

Findings

The presence of neutralising antibodies increased sevenfold after the Pfizer dosage was administered. According to Dr Magdalena Campins, one of the study's directors, just 1.7 per cent of the patients experienced significant but non-serious side effects, which were restricted to headaches, muscular soreness, and general malaise.

Spain conducted the research to assess the best course of action following the decision to restrict the AstraZeneca shot to those over the age of 60 because of worries about blood clotting in younger individuals. These restrictions created significant doubt and resulted in the exclusion of some younger persons who had previously received the first dose from receiving a second.

People who received a shot of Pfizer's vaccination followed by a dose of AstraZeneca's, or vice versa, were more likely to experience mild or severe symptoms such as headaches or chills than those who received two of the same type, according to preliminary data from a U.K. "mix-and-match" research. Immune response data are anticipated in the following days. The study's findings support the idea of vaccinating patients who have received the first dosage from AstraZeneca.

Implications for India 

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is debating whether COVID-19 vaccinations can be mixed and matched in India in light of good outcomes from tests conducted in the United Kingdom and Spain. If permitted, it might aid in speeding up the vaccine procedure, alleviating at least some of the supply constraints in a country devastated by the pandemic's second wave. This (using a different vaccine for the second dosage) might significantly improve the flexibility of the national vaccination rollout plan in the event of a pandemic.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

The author is a practising super specialist from New Delhi.