COVID-19: UK changes vaccination strategy to 'maximise benefits' of both vaccines

The United Kingdom's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has changed the strategy of vaccination and prioritised the first dose of vaccine for as many people as possible before administering the second dose. This comes after the British health and medicine regulatory body approved the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine on Wednesday. The UK started inoculating its population three weeks ago after approving the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA-based two-shot vaccine, which requires a gap of 21 days between each jab. 

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First shot prioritised for both vaccines

However, the JCVI, after consulting the 4 UK Chief Medical Officers, changed the strategy for administering the second dose. Now, the second dose for both the AstraZeneca-Oxford and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines can be administered between 4 and 12 weeks. "For both vaccines, data provided to MHRA demonstrate that while efficacy is optimised when a second dose is administered, both offer considerable protection after a single dose, at least in the short term. For both vaccines the second dose completes the course and is likely to be important for longer-term protection," the statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers read. 

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The step is taken in order to provide protection to as many people as possible because of the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom, which scientists believe spreads faster than all other previously detected variants. Earlier, the recommendation for administering the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 3 weeks, which has now been updated to "at least three weeks". 

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Meanwhile, the JCVI also amended its guidelines for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant and breastfeeding women. The JCVI now says that both vaccines can be given to pregnant and breastfeeding women if they are at risk of contracting COVID-19 disease. JCVI further added that those who are trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination. 

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