NACI set to recommend mixing AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines
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Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is set to update its guidance, recommending that certain COVID-19 vaccines can be safely administered as the first and second dose to people in Canada.
Based on expert opinion and limited evidence, either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be offered as a subsequent dose after a person has received a first shot of AstraZeneca, a source with direct knowledge of the announcement told Global News. But it is not recommending AstraZeneca after a first shot of Pfizer or Moderna.
The mRNA vaccines — Pfizer and Moderna — are also interchangeable if the same product is not available for the second dose. The previous dose should be counted, and the series need not be restarted, according to the source.
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NACI is expected to make the recommendation at a news conference at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Early data from studies in Europe suggests that mixing doses of COVID-19 vaccines is safe and effective.
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Preliminary results from a University of Oxford study published on May 12 found that mixing the Pfizer-BioNtech and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines may increase the frequency of mild to moderate side effects. But these symptoms were short-lived — lasting no longer than a few days — and there were no hospitalizations or other safety concerns.
Meanwhile, a Spanish study released Tuesday showed that the presence of neutralizing antibodies rose sevenfold after people who already received a first shot of AstraZeneca vaccine were given the Pfizer dose, significantly more than the doubling effect observed after a second AstraZeneca shot.
A nationwide study was also launched in Canada last month to look at the safety and effectiveness of mixing and matching different types of shots.
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This a breaking news story. More to come.
— With files from Global News’ Abigail Bimman
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