UK with Variant Virus Emerges, Government Faces Growing Concerns Over 'Second Vaccine Dose Delay' Guidelines

Pfizer: "If the second dose is delayed, vaccine effectiveness may decrease"
UK vaccination guidelines: "Different vaccines can be administered for the second dose compared to the first"

On the 30th of last month, the UK government extended the interval between the first and second doses from 4 weeks to 12 weeks. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] As the UK government announced on the 30th of last month that it would extend the interval between COVID-19 vaccinations, concerns are growing that this decision is unscientific and dangerous.

Earlier on the 30th of last month, the UK government announced that it would delay the interval between the first and second doses from 4 weeks to 12 weeks to allow as many people as possible to receive the first dose.

According to CNN on the 1st (local time), the British Medical Association (BMA) issued a statement the day before, pointing out that the elderly who have been vaccinated so far are the group at highest risk of death from COVID-19 infection, and that suddenly changing the vaccination schedule for tens of thousands of them is unfair. Richard Vautrey, BMA Chair of the General Practitioners Committee, said, "It is physically difficult to follow the guidance to change the entire vaccination schedule starting next week."

Pfizer, the developer of the COVID-19 vaccine, emphasized that its Phase 3 clinical trials were designed to prove the efficacy and safety of the vaccine administered at 21-day intervals, and that delaying the second dose could reduce effectiveness. Pfizer stated, "There is no data proving that virus protection is maintained beyond 21 days after the first dose."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a CNN interview that day, "According to clinical results, the optimal timing for the second dose is 28 days after the first dose for the Moderna vaccine and 21 days for the Pfizer vaccine," adding, "If we want to follow the data, we must adhere to this."

However, UK health officials maintain the position that delaying the second dose is the best option when weighing the expected risks and benefits.

The Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland explained in an open letter to healthcare workers that "most of the initial protection against COVID-19 is achieved after the first dose."

Meanwhile, the UK government recently released vaccination guidelines stating, as reported by The New York Times, that "if the vaccine used for the first dose is unavailable at the time of the second dose, or if the manufacturer of the first dose vaccine is unknown, it is reasonable to administer whichever vaccine is available nearby."

There is currently no research data on whether mixing different vaccines for COVID-19 vaccination is possible.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.