DOH still looking into mixing of COVID-19 vaccines

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said it is still looking into the mixing of COVID-19 vaccines as studies abroad show that a higher immune resistance may be generated if individuals receive the AstraZeneca vaccine for the first dose and an mRNA vaccine for the second.

“Kami po ay nakipagpulong sa ating mga eksperto… kasi po itong mga ebidensyang lumalabas around the globe, hindi naman po na-include ‘yung mga bakunang available dito sa ating countries,” Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Dano Tingcungco’s Saturday “24 Oras Weekend” report.

(We are meeting with experts… because these studies around the globe do not include the vaccines that are available in the country.)

“Ang kanilang pong rekomendasyon, kung saka-sakaling pupunta tayo diyan sa direksyon na magmi-mix and match tayo, unang-una, it will be most safe kung parehong platform ang gagamitin natin,” she added.

(They recommended that if we ever go into the mixing and matching of vaccines, it will be safer to use the same platform.)

Vergeire said authorities will release the results of a study this 3rd quarter.

According to Tingcungco, Germany sees the mixing of COVID-19 vaccines as the solution against the more infectious Delta variant.

After receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, individuals may receive an mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna as a second dose.

Studies show that immune response is higher when these vaccines are mixed when compared to using a single brand for the first and second dose.

The National Advisory Committee of Canada also issued a similar recommendation. It said that based on evidence, a higher resistance may be created by mixed vaccines.

In a statement on Wednesday, the University of Oxford also said that a stronger immune response against COVID-19 was generated by those who received mixed AstraZeneca-Pfizer doses. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News