Study finds mixing Pfizer, AstraZeneca jabs effective

Vaccinating coronavirus patients who have received the AstraZeneca jab with the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective, according to preliminary results from a Spanish study.

The small clinical trial led by Spain’s Carlos III Health Institute found that mixing the vaccines could provide greater protection against the virus.

The neutralizing antibodies in the people who received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine increased sevenfold compared to those who received just one AstraZeneca dose.

It is a higher increase than previous studies found when two doses of AstraZeneca were given, according to the public health institute.

The side effects were also relatively mild in those who received a second Pfizer jab. No one needed serious medical treatment, but 44% reported headaches, 25% had chills and 2.5% came down with a fever.

The clinical trial included 673 participants who received the first AstraZeneca jab. The control group had 232 people who did not receive a second vaccine dose, while the remaining 441 were administered a Pfizer jab. /BGNES


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