A study published by The Lancet Journal mentioned that following first doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines with the second dose of Moderna or Norovax generates a robust immune response against COVID-19 virus. The study was conducted by the researchers of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and no safety concerns were raised among 1070 participants. Moreover, the study supports a flexible use of the COVID-19 vaccines in primary immunization schedules, which is crucial to rapidly deploy the vaccines, especially in the low and middle-income countries where the vaccine supply might be inconsistent.
Robust Response Of Cellular Immunity
India Today quoted Professor Mathew Snape, an Associate Professor at Oxford University, saying, "Thanks to studies such as these, we are now getting a complete picture of how different Covid-19 vaccines can be used together in the same vaccine schedule". He further added that all these vaccine schedules generate antibody concentrations above that of the licensed and effective two-dose Oxford-AstraZeneca schedule". Researchers believe that the first dose of AstraZeneca, followed by any other study vaccine, generates a robust response in terms of cellular immunity.
New Methods For Immunization
In addition, a significantly higher number of short-lived vaccine reactions were reported in volunteers who received a second dose of Moderna compared to those who received two doses of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer. Professor Snape said that using different types of vaccines within the same schedule is a relatively novel approach and can also help to generate better immune responses. However, the researchers have said that the findings would have implications beyond COVID-19 and would inform new methods for immunization for diseases that are not yet preventable by the vaccine. Until now, only a few vaccine combinations have been tested; however, if mixing vaccines prove to be a safe bet, the global vaccination drive would benefit billions of people worldwide.
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