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Why have health officials decided to delay the administration of second doses of Covid-19 vaccines?
According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), modeling of the “high level of protection provided by the first dose suggests that initially” vaccinating a greater number of people with a single dose will prevent more deaths and hospitalizations than vaccinating a lesser number with two doses ”. Delays in giving a second dose of vaccine for up to 12 weeks should not affect protection, it is argued. In fact, you can increase it.
So what protection do the first few doses of vaccines offer?
The short-term efficacy of the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is around 90%, says the JCVI, while 70% is given for AstraZeneca.
Why has the decision to delay the second dose angered some doctors and scientists?
Cancellation of second-dose appointments has created administrative chaos and has upset elderly patients. Also, some scientists argue that it is not known how the vaccine will work with a larger gap between injections. It is also not known how protective a single long-term injection is. Why risk it, they say?
Do most scientists share this point of view?
No. Many say that the risks of limiting protection against viruses are low. With a new variant of Covid spreading rapidly, vaccinating more people, possibly less effectively, is better than giving second doses to fewer people.
What has been the reaction of the United States??
Leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that while it was possible to “argue” in favor of delaying doses, he would not be in favor. However, commentators have noted that the United States is highly litigious compared to the United Kingdom, so doctors tend to be more cautious when changing vaccination procedures.
How has the UK been answered?
Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and his counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have said they support the decision to delay the second dose to ensure more people receive their first vaccine as soon as possible.
Where will the vaccine be administered to patients?
According to the NHS, there are more than 700 vaccination sites ready to start administering vaccines in the coming weeks. Up to 100 hospitals will be online across the country this week, while another 180 GP services will also start vaccines.
