What will be the impact of Covishield and Pfizer vaccines’ combo? Spanish study finds out

Amidst countries facing acute Coronavirus shortage, certified and definite research on combining two different vaccine doses could help countries vaccinate populations more effectively against the virus.

As vaccines have become a part of our lives like never before due to Covid-19 pandemic, there are a host of queries on our minds regarding vaccines. One such query is whether a person can get vaccinated with two different vaccines? According to a study conducted by the Spanish university, a combination of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine was entirely safe and effective in controlling the spread and prevention of the disease, the Indian Express reported.

The study conducted by the Carlos III Health Institute in Spain found that the first dose of AstraZeneca followed by the second dose of Pfizer was absolutely safe and effective. The university has backed its findings with the result of a clinical trial in which 673 participants(aged below 60) participated. All 673 participants had already been administered with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine about eight weeks ago. During the clinical trials only 441 participants of the lot were administered with the second dose of Pfizer vaccine while 232 participants were not provided with the second dose and were observed as a control group.

To their astonishment, the researchers found that the participants who had been administered with the second dose of Pfizer vaccine had 30-40 times more IgG antibodies in the bloodstream in comparison to the participants who had just been administered with an AstraZeneca dose. An increase was also reported in the neutralising antibodies by about seven times among the participants who were administered with the second Pfizer dose.

The research assumes even more significance as the researchers have previously found that the number of neutralising doses increases only by twice among people who have received both the doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. In other words, as per the study chances of putting up a better fight against the disease might increase if a combination of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines is administered to people.

Amidst countries facing acute Coronavirus shortage, certified and definite research on combining two different vaccine doses could help countries vaccinate populations more effectively against the virus. However, with many countries solely dependent on a single vaccine, it might be entirely impossible to pick and choose different combinations of vaccines. In most countries of the world including India mixing two different doses of vaccine has not been recommended in the absence of definite and conclusive research on the topic.