Canadian health officials have started the review of the research on mixing COVID-19 vaccines as they believe that administering mixed vaccine jabs can boost the immunity manifold.
The development follows the announcement of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) which stated the AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was not the preferred vaccine because it had been linked with rare blood clots in the brain.
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NACI issued the warning after hundreds of thousands of Canadians had already received the initial dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. The recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine may receive the booster dose of a different COVID-19 vaccine.
Aside from the rare side effect, AstraZeneca’s global deliveries had been delayed after the Indian government forced the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker and the manufacturer of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, to halt global deliveries and divert supplies to meet domestic needs.
The vaccine-induced rare blood clots coupled with an uncertain delivery schedule for future supply has caused Canadian health officials to review the research on administering different COVID-19 vaccines.
Research on Mixing Vaccines
In February this year, Oxford University launched a study to ascertain the advantages of administering alternating COVID-19 vaccines.
The ongoing study is collecting data to determine whether giving two different types of vaccines generates an immune response at least equal to the immune response that is produced after receiving the same vaccine twice.
The study is evaluating the effects of vaccine combinations by comparing the results of the initial dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by either the Pfizer vaccine or a second AstraZeneca dose, or an initial dose of the Pfizer vaccine followed by either the AstraZeneca or a second dose of the Pfizer.
Oxford researchers have hinted at officially releasing preliminary findings of the research in the coming days.
Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) England and lead investigator of the study, has said the findings will provide greater insight into how different vaccines can be mixed to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic.
He added that the immune response could be enhanced by combining different vaccines, giving even higher antibody levels that last longer.
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Prospects of Strong Immune Response
Dr. Helen Fletcher, professor of immunology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has said that it is highly likely that the immune response will be even better if mixed vaccines are administered.
Mixing vaccines could produce a stronger immune response, or it could give a broader type of immune response by generating a wider range of antibodies or T cells.
She added that COVID-19 vaccines of AstraZeneca and Pfizer produce a significant immune response to the Coronavirus. Thus, combining these two vaccines could result in an even stronger immune response against Coronavirus.
Risks Associated With Mixed Vaccines
Dr. Helen claimed that no side effects have been reported except for the ones already reported when the vaccines are administered individually.
Infants are immunized by giving several different types of vaccines over a period of months and years with no safety concerns.
She clarified that different vaccines administered as part of a two-dose course do not interact directly with each other, as the vaccine particles are quickly cleared by the immune system within days of immunization.
History of Mixed Vaccines
Dr. Helen noted that scientists have been combining different vaccines for decades in order to boost the immune response against malaria, TB, HIV, and cancers. Last year, a mixed vaccine regimen was approved for Ebola.
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