Why is the UK postponing the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines?



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The British newspaper “Guardian” summarizes why Britain has embarked on a plan to delay deployment of the second dose of coronavirus vaccines.

UK vaccinates world's first patient with AstraZeneca vaccine

Updated

The UK is vaccinating the world’s first patient with the AstraZeneca vaccine

Six hospitals in England will deliver 530,000 doses

Why did the health officials decide to delay the second dose?

According to a model from the Joint Commission on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), the high level of protection after the first dose indicates that vaccinating more people with a single dose will prevent more deaths and hospitalizationsthan vaccinate a smaller number with two doses. Experts note that delaying the placement of the second dose to 12 weeks should not affects immunityand you can even increase it.

What protection does the first dose of vaccines provide?

The short-term effectiveness of the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is about 90%, according to the commission, while the AstraZeneca vaccine provides 70%.

Why did the decision to postpone the second dose enrage some doctors and scientists?

Cancellation of planned second dose placements created a chaos and disturb elderly patients. Also, some scientists claim that it is not known how the vaccine will react if the second dose is delayed. It is also not known what protection just one dose will provide after the third week. Why is this risk taken ?, ask the scientists.

Do most scientists share this point of view?

Most experts do not share this. Many believe that the risks of limiting protection are small. As New Coronavirus Strain Spreads, More People Are Vaccinated better than giving a second dose to fewer people.

Chief Health Inspector Chris Whitty supports the decision to postpone the second dose for as long as possiblemore people to get their first dose as soon as possible.

What is the reaction in the United States?

Leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said he did not support delaying the injection of the second dose. Commentators note that in the US it is a bit more controversial than in the UK, as doctors tend to be a little more cautious when changing immunization procedures.

How did Great Britain respond?

Chris Whitty and colleagues from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have said they support the decision to postpone the second doseso that more people can get the first dose of vaccines as soon as possible.



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