Vaccine cocktail: Mixing Pfizer and Astra triggered reactions; can two jabs mix and match fight covid?

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As many low- and middle-income nations try to figure out how to cope with vaccine scarcity, researchers and public health officials are examining strategies such as blending two different shots of Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

UK study has found the first study to directly compare immune reactions between Pfizer and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines. They found strong and broadly similar antibody responses in over-80-year-olds after a first dose of either shot, scientists said on Wednesday.

The UK study likewise tracked down that a critical component of the immune system known as T cells showed a more upgraded reaction in the individuals who got the AstraZeneca vaccine than in the individuals who got the Pfizerone.

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Mixing doses of two leading Covid-19 vaccines reacted on patients’ with those who got a first dose of AstraZeneca followed by Pfizer.

More short-lived side effects such as fatigue and headaches were reported four weeks later with most of them mild.

“Whether or not this will relate to an improved immune response, we don’t know yet; we’ll be finding out those results in a few weeks’ time,” said Matthew Snape, an Oxford pediatrics and vaccinology professor who’s leading the trial.

As per Snap, the study didn’t highlight any safety issues and the stronger results disappeared following a couple of days, he said on a conference call. The outcomes recommend, in any case, that mixed doses schedules could bring about an expansion in work absences the day after vaccination.

Findings from a study that has yet to show how well such a cocktail will defend against the virus. Unfortunately, assurance that mismatched shots are still safe and effective would make it easier for governments to be at ease with the seriousness of cases and deaths due to COVID.