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World Health Organization chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has warned people against combining different Covid-19 vaccines, despite studies suggesting the ‘cocktail’ approach could yield positive results.
As pharmaceutical companies tout the possibility of booster vaccines against the latest variants of Covid-19, Dr Swaminathan on Monday warned against mixing different vaccines in a bid to boost immunity.
“I really want to warn people”, Swaminathan said during a World Health Organization (WHO) press briefing. “There are people who think about mixing and matching… so it’s a bit of a dangerous trend here. We are in a zone without data and without evidence. Data on mix and match is limited.
“It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start to decide when to take a second, third or fourth dose.”
Several studies have shown promising results from a combination of different vaccines. Russia’s Gamaleya Institute was the first vaccine developer to explore this path when it offered its Sputnik V injection last year for clinical trials alongside AstraZeneca’s vaccine, with research still ongoing. Similar studies combining other vaccines have reinforced the argument for ‘mix and match’, and a number of countries – including the UK, Canada and Italy – allow citizens to receive injections from several manufacturers.
Swaminathan acknowledged that these studies were promising, but noted that even amid the spread of the latest coronavirus variants, booster shots are not needed at this time.
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“It has to be based on science and data, not on individual companies saying their vaccines should now be given as a booster dose,” he added. she concludes.
Swaminathan was probably referring to US drug maker Pfizer, which announced last week that a third dose of its vaccine may be needed to maintain immunity. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, however, responded to Pfizer’s announcement with a joint statement reiterating that two doses are effective at this time.
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