January 3, 2021 coronavirus news
CNNA nurse prepares to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at Guy's Hospital in London, on December 8, 2020. Frank Augstein/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Mixing Covid-19 vaccines is not recommended, Public Health England’s Head of Immunisations Dr. Mary Ramsay said Saturday, after government guidance was updated this week to say the interchangeability of Covid-19 vaccines was a “reasonable” option. “We do not recommend mixing the Covid-19 vaccines – if your first dose is the Pfizer vaccine you should not be given the AstraZeneca vaccine for your second dose and vice versa,” Ramsay said in a statement. Thursday’s guidance said if the same vaccine is not available, or if the first product received is unknown, “it is reasonable to offer one dose of the locally available product to complete the schedule.” “This option is preferred if the individual is likely to be at immediate high risk or is considered unlikely to attend again,” it added. Both doses of the series should be completed with the same product.” The CDC adds, however, that “if two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are inadvertently administered, no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time.”