A major British study on vaccination with two different doses of COVID-19 vaccines revealed that individuals who received a first dose of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine followed by a second dose of Moderna after nine weeks had stronger immune responses than others, according to results published on Monday. Matthew Snape, a professor at the University of Oxford, told Reuters: "We discovered a really good immune response. In fact, it’s stronger than having two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine."
The study’s findings offer hope for low- and middle-income countries that may need to administer vaccines from different manufacturers to their citizens in cases of supply instability or shortages. Snape added: "The study shows that there is no need to strictly adhere to giving the same type of vaccine for the second dose; while the vaccination process will be faster using different vaccines, that is perfectly fine."
Researchers at the University of Oxford noted that if the first dose is AstraZeneca followed by a second dose of Moderna or Novavax, the body produces more antibodies and T cells than those produced by two doses of AstraZeneca. The study, which included 1,070 volunteers, also found that a first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech followed by a second dose of Moderna yields better results than two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech. According to the study published in The Lancet medical journal, there are no safety concerns.
