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The second dose of Comirnaty is currently administered 21 days later. These days, however, there has been talk that this time can be doubled.
About this on Tuesday on the LRT radio show “Morning Sounds” implied Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė. The government, he said, is considering delaying booster shots so that more people get vaccinated with the first dose. This is already being done in some other countries, such as France, and is even considering extending the time to eight weeks.
“The government is really looking at ways to vaccinate as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time, and those considerations include the possibility of postponing vaccination with the second dose of Pfizer so that more people can get the first, because it doesn’t matter. how many vaccines are available in the next few weeks., is still not enough, especially since they are increasingly needed for the booster vaccination fairly quickly. We really want to provide as much protection as possible to the widest possible circle of people, “said I. Šimonytė.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Ingrida Šimonytė
The head of government pointed out that the requirement of a second dose of Pfizer / BioNTech according to the documentation “is not previous”. That is, you must be vaccinated at least 21 days later.
An even longer delay raises questions
Teacher. Dr. According to A. Mickienė, the maximum interval recommended by the manufacturers is 6 weeks: “The postponement up to 42 days is what complies with our regulations, characteristics of the drugs and clinical trials, what is known, investigated and validated “.
It is about extending the term not only twice, but also up to 8 weeks (56 days). Such an offer, according to the doctor, is a bit controversial. “It just came to our notice then. The associations of immunologists and infectologists in several major countries are examining the question of how best to proceed.
A commitment is being made here, with the aim of winning the race with universal immunization, preventing the spread of the virus, said the professor at a scientific-practical conference “COVID-19 infection and vaccination: what can we do better?” by LSMU Hospital Kaunas Clinics. “The more people we inject the first dose and delay the second, the faster we will increase the number of people after one dose of the vaccine.”
The doctor noted that a second dose of Vaxzevria could be given 12 weeks later. This gives you plenty of extra time to vaccinate as many people as possible with at least one dose.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Auksė Mickienė
The speaker admitted to having viewed the extension of the interval to 8 weeks with caution: “I could not say my position with more precision, because the formation of an immune response, wake up (from the English word increase – the inflated, reinforced time) are subtle things.
My position would be more that we should stick to those 42 days, at least not to do something that we ourselves are not fully aware of. Because it is not that simple. With other vaccines, there are “fancy” regimens that provide the best, most sustainable, and long-lasting response to cellular stimulation for some time.
42 days is a commitment on the best way to get out of a situation. That is my personal position. Many reputable societies of infectologists and immunologists discuss this issue and do not find much consensus. “
Vaccination of relapsed patients may be delayed.
The conference was attended by the head of the Kaunas region management group for COVID-19 disease, Doc. Dr. Vaidotas Gurskis expressed the same opinion: “If we extend the term, 42 days will pass, which the manufacturer allows.
Why are those six weeks important to us, Lithuania? If the vaccine delivery rate remains the same as it is now, that is very good. Those six weeks are enough for us to vaccinate a critical mass that is already slowing the spread of the infection.
We don’t need to step outside of those rules and think hard about how to break them legally. This is definitely an outing for our state, those 42 days are 6 weeks. I don’t think we need 8 or 12 weeks. The British have done it, they have won so far and it is hard to say what it will be like in long races. “
Photo by Saulius Žiūra / Vaccination of doctors from Vilnius City Clinical Hospital against COVID-19
When asked about COVID-19 vaccination of relapsed patients, prof. Dr. A. Mickienė stated that “the vaccination must be administered unambiguously and, in accordance with current regulations, in two doses”. But due to pre-existing immunity, only one dose will likely be recommended in the future.
Vaccination of these people is said to be a good situation, as there is evidence that sufficiently strong immunity lasts for at least 6 months rather than 3 after relapse.
“I think it is possible to postpone up to 6 months for a person who has become ill. Vaccination and therefore a vaccine to vaccinate a person who is not ill, to immunize as many non-ill people as possible so that we reach a critical mass. as soon as possible, which could stop the spread of the virus, “said the doctor.
The vaccine developer offers a maximum of 6 weeks
Health experts tend to support the proposal to delay booster vaccination a second dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
“Up to six weeks is free, maybe eight weeks can be considered, but it would be more of a topic of discussion. I think it’s safe enough to do it by extending it to eight weeks,” said Marius Strioga, a National Cancer Institute oncologist and doctor. in biomedical sciences.
According to him, the six-week interval also applied to some of the participants in clinical trials. This vaccination schedule is approved by the World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
The proposal to delay it up to 8 weeks, according to M. Strioga, is based on scientific research not yet confirmed and on the fact that “these vaccines in principle elicit a strong immune response and are very effective.”
Photo of the couple / Marius Strioga
Professor Aurelija Žvirblienė, an immunologist at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center, also agrees that the second Pfizer vaccination may be delayed: “From a scientific point of view, the extension of the interval is quite possible. Even with a longer interval between the first and second doses, more immune memory cells are formed, which can ensure an even stronger and longer-lasting immune response. There would be no scientific barriers. “
According to the professor, the second dose of the vaccine could be administered even after 12 weeks. “I would set an upper limit of 12 weeks. And any other option, be it four, six, eight or ten, does not fundamentally change. It should only be for a maximum of 12 weeks,” he said, following the example of the United Kingdom, where all vaccines have a 12-week interval and a strong reduction in infections.
The State Drug Control Agency (IARC) may delay the delay of the second dose evaluated with skepticism. Because the summary of product characteristics says: “After dilution, Comirnaty is administered intramuscularly in 2 doses (0.3 ml). It is recommended that the second dose be given 3 weeks after the first. “
It is true that one of the BioNTech founders, Ugur Sahin, commenting on Britain’s decision to vaccinate with a second dose of Comirnaty after 12 weeks, said in February that this should be done with a maximum break of six weeks.
If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, please send them to our editorial staff by email. email address [email protected].
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