WHO does not recommend changing the vaccine between pr …

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that for the moment there are no “adequate data” on the effects of a change in vaccine between the first and the second dose, as France plans to do with those under 55 who have already received the first dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus drug.

“There is not enough data to say if this is something that can be done,” said WHO experts, who concluded that injecting different vaccines in the first and second doses “is not something they can recommend at this time.”

Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the health organization, recalled that this is the position of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization adopted in February. He also pointed out that they had already asked vaccine interchangeability research.

Change of strategy in France

This Friday, the French authorities announced that those under 55 who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine they will receive a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

France suspended the inoculation of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people under 55 on March 19 after the appearance of certain cases of thrombus in Europe. But before that, some 533,000 people, mostly health workers, had received a first dose.

“For these people, we now recommend administering a messenger RNA vaccine,” i.e. those from Pfizer / BioNtech or Moderna, for the second dose with a 12-week interval in between, said the President of the French Health Authority, Dominique Le Guludec.

“It is absolutely consistent to say that the vaccine is not recommended for those under 55 until we learn more. If they have received a first dose and are under 55, we will offer another vaccine ”. French Minister of Health Olivier See said.

Clean The 41-year-old minister is among that group who received a first dose of AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca vaccination cessation

Other countries have announced that they will limit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed by the Anglo-Swedish laboratory in collaboration with the University of Oxford, following reports of a unusual link between vaccine and cases of blood clots.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that the cause and effect relationship between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clot formation is plausible but not confirmed.

The two organizations they also encouraged countries to administer the drug, as the balance between risks and benefits remains “positive”.

According to figures from the EMA, 222 cases of atypical thrombosis were detected after 34 million injections manufactured with AstraZeneca in Europe.