The CDC still recommends mixing COVID vaccines only ‘in exceptional circumstances’, despite recent media reports. This opinion runs somewhat counter to what Al Jazeera reports in other countries. It says Bahrain, Bhutan, Canada, Italy, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates allow vaccine cocktails as policy. We decided to investigate why U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) seems out of step here.
Are Vaccine Cocktails Safe If We Have To Mix?
Al Jazeera reports mixed trials in Spain and United Kingdom ‘lead to strong immune responses. And they sometimes outperform two doses of the same vaccine.’
Germany found mixing Astra Zeneca and Pfizer better than two Astra Zeneca shots. And as good or better than two Pfizers were. United Kingdom went ahead with that combo in January 2021 during supply chain throttling.
But CDC is still holding back from approving mixing vaccines as policy. It says ‘Any currently FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine is suitable when indicated. However, COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable. The safety and efficacy of a mixed-product mRNA vaccine series still awaits evaluation.
Every Effort Should Be Made to Use the Same Product
However, CDC has relented somewhat on the matter of vaccine cocktails ‘under exceptional circumstances’. It says mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna may be mixed and matched with the same intervals, if the first product becomes unavailable and this is necessary to complete the series.
However, they recommend stretching out a full six weeks before implementing that ‘exception’. But they take a different approach with the technically dissimilar Janssen dose. In this case, it may be the second dose following either Moderna or Pfizer, after waiting 28 days.
In this instance though they regard Janssen as the primary vaccine, because the single shot is effectively a full dose. Always ask your vaccine station to confirm which vaccine you are receiving, and why the choice.
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Preview Image: Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine
