(AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — European studies have shown that the mixing of AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine provide better protection than two doses of AstraZeneca shots, the chief of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Thursday.
“May mga studies sa Europa pero ang mi-nix and match nila is the antiviral vaccine which is AstraZeneca and Pfizer, isang mRNA vaccine naman. Mukhang maganda ang resulta. It shows that nagiging higher talaga ‘yung reaction sa mix and match kesa sa if you get the same two doses for example of AstraZeneca,” FDA director Eric Domingo told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
(There are studies in Europe where they mixed and matched AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines. It seems the results are good. It shows a higher reaction in the mix and match than when you get, for example, two doses of AstraZeneca.)
Domingo said the studies have found that results are better if the first dose is from AstraZeneca and the second dose is from Pfizer.
Food and Drug Administration chief and DOH Usec. Eric Domingo.
“Ang nakita, mas maganda kung first ‘yung AstraZeneca, second ‘yung Pfizer. Kung Pfizer ‘yung first tapos AstraZeneca ‘yung second, hindi kasing ganda ‘yung epekto. It matters kung anong bakuna at tsaka ‘yung pagkakasunod-sunod,” the FDA chief said.
(What they found out is the results are better if the AstraZeneca shot will be given first and Pfizer shot will be given second. If the first shot is from Pfizer and the second is AstraZeneca, the effects are not the same. It matters which vaccines were used and the succession of administering the shots.)
“If we’re going to make a mix and match program, we have to check each and every combination including the succession of doses,” he added.
Domingo said there are no studies yet for the combinations of other vaccine brands and noted that this will be part of the mix and match study of the Department of Science and Technology. (with Sofia Vertucio, Inquirer trainee)
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