Increased side effects have been noted but what it means is unclear.
Getting your second dose of coronavirus vaccine seems like it should be straightforward. The logical route would be that vaccine providers give you a second shot of the same vaccine you received the first time around. Was your first shot Moderna? If yes, then so would be your second. But this isn’t what always happens. A smooth progression doesn’t always take place. In some places around the world, vaccines are in short supply. This is causing governments to consider mixing and matching coronavirus vaccine doses.
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According to CBC.ca, a study done in the UK had some interesting results. It showed that people who get two different COVID-19 vaccine doses can have a higher chance of developing a fever, mild to moderate fatigue, and a headache. The study comes from the Oxford Vaccine Group’s Com-Cov vaccine trial and involved over 800 participants aged 50 and up. Researchers mixed Pfizer-BioNTech doses with those from AstraZeneca-Oxford.
While the enhanced side effects were temporary, they were prominent enough to be of note. What isn’t yet known is whether this stronger reaction to vaccines by mixing them is an indicator of a stronger immune response or not.
AstraZeneca in Canada
Vaccine mixing came into the spotlight in Canada in particular, in the spring of 2021. The country was short on coronavirus vaccines but cases of the virus were rising in an astounding third wave. AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines were all in use at the time in Canada, but as vaccinations increased in the country, it became clear that AstraZeneca’s vaccine stood out.
As has happened elsewhere around the globe, some people in Canada experienced deadly blood clots in connection with this vaccine. At the time of this writing, 28 people in the country have reported the blood clots and four people have died as a result.
Related: What to Do If You Missed Your Second Dose of Vaccine
Researchers and doctors are now saying your risk of getting a blood clot after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine is estimated to be about 1 in 55,000 in Canada. Depending on where you live, this could present a deadlier situation than COVID-19 does.
In speaking with CBC.ca, Dr. Andrew Morris, who is an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Toronto, had this to say.
“For the people who are in their 30s and 40s, it just doesn’t make sense,” Morris stated. “They’re at really low risk of dying from COVID and they’re assuming a risk of dying from this (AstraZeneca’s vaccine).”
Canada now has more access to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Consequently, the landscape is changing and vaccine mixing is coming into play.
The Solution (For Now)
So, what happens if you are in Canada and you got one AstraZeneca vaccine? Earlier this spring, some provinces and territories halted the administration of the vaccine due to the clotting concerns. Now, officials say people who received this vaccine the first time can get it as their second dose. The vaccine is no longer being given out in places like Ontario, however, as a first dose.
Exactly how things will develop remains to be seen. Canada is still vaccinating people in the first round of doses. Places like Ontario are focusing on getting as many people vaccinated with one shot as possible. Consequently, very few people have had access to their second dose. Health officials in the province have spread doses up to four months apart in order to inoculate as many people as possible. (The spacing indicates the shortage of vaccine supply).
It could be that when it comes time to receive a second dose of vaccine, Canadians who received AstraZeneca will have a choice. They might be able to choose which vaccine will constitute their second shot. This remains to be determined officially, however.
Does it sound confusing? That’s because it is. Discoveries and decisions are being made as you read this.
Stay tuned to your local health officials. enjoy the weather and stay safe.
photo credits: myboys.me/Shutterstock.com
