Are 2nd doses of Pfizer vaccine being cancelled?

[UntamedWisteria]

Has anyone got any authoritative information on this? A link to a reliable source?

I think Matt Hancock mentioned this, and have seen stuff on Twitter about it. But nothing rock solid.

My parents (in their 80s) were due to get their 2nd dose next week. They will be devastated if it's cancelled. I know they have said they will start by only giving the Oxford vaccines as a single dose, but it's not clear what happens to those who've already had their first Pfizer dose.

Thanks.

Is it not that they are being delayed rather than cancelled?

I've heard that there is due to be an announcement that the 2nd vaccination can be within 12 weeks now for the Pfizer rather than the 3 weeks. So not cancelled.

Well it's the same impact really - my elderly parents who have barely been able to leave their home for months on end were counting on having immunity by mid-January. Now they don't know how long it will be.

The first dose is only 52% effective, so that means the likelihood is that one of them could still catch Covid.

They are trying to get as many 1st doses done as quickly as possible and the 2nd dose is to be given within 12 weeks rather than within 3 weeks

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/12/30/more-to-be-vaccinated-faster-officials-approve-new-jab-rollout-plan/

Yes, but can someone provide an authoritative source re the Pfizer vaccine - are existing appointments for 2nd dose being postponed?

The first dose is 90% effective after 11 days. The 52% rate is an average of 10 days of basically no effect and 11 days of 90% effectiveness. This is more effective than the Oxford vaccine ever reaches. So a single dose is worth more than 2 Oxford doses.

This chart from the Pfizer/BioNTech study shows how cases evolved compared to the control group. The impact from 11 days on is dramatic.

They are already 90% protected. That is absolutely amazing.

Eyewhisker that is really reassuring thanks. My elderly grandparents had it before Xmas and are due the second dose 7th Jan. No one has rung yet to say its cancelled. I know they will be worried it's not enough so those stats are good to know.

Thanks @eyeWhisker that is helpful and reassuring.

It's bad enough that my parents went into Tier 4 yesterday. I don't think they are aware yet that their 2nd dose will be postponed and I'm sure they will feel devastated when they get a call to that effect.

My parents are in the same situation. but given that we are in Tier 4, they are not going anywhere anytime soon, can’t have visitors, and will need to take the usual precautions regardless (SD, mask etc), it’s all rather moot.

My parents same day tootiredtospeak

What a shit show.

Yes, I’ve also heard that the Pfizer jab’s second doses from the 5th onwards are being cancelled and rescheduled at a 12 week interval.

I’m extremely concerned as Pfizer have themselves come out and said they have no evidence that this new dosing regime will work (although Oxford do have evidence
for their jab). Pfizer insist the second dose should be given 3 weeks later.

I understand that it’s important for as many people as possible to receive their first jab. I do think the manufacturers should be respected though and the dosing regimen stuck to.

I’m booked for my first jab (Pfizer) next week. I was given my second appointment when the first was made. I spoke to someone from
the hub yesterday and she went extremely quiet when I attempted to confirm my second appointment. This was prior to the announcement yesterday but presumably they had advanced warning.

@ProudAuntie76 do you have a link to where they said that? I've seen people mention it but no one can provide a source? My df is due for his 2nd vaccine on the 9th Jan and I'm extremely worried about this.

To clarify a link to where Pfizer have said they should be 3 weeks apart.

Its in the link i gave above. Think it wasn't tested at that interval

My mother has her second dose booked for 7 January. She hasn't heard anything to the effect that this is being postponed/cancelled.

It’s true that the Pfizer jab has only ever been tested with a 21 day gap. However, there is good circumstantial evidence to suggest that a 12 week gap is fine. The Oxford trial was a bit of a mess, with lots of different intervals between doses. Although clearly not great from an organisational point of view, it shows that up to 12 weeks gap was fine and may even improve effectiveness. It is reasonable to assume that the more effective Pfizer is similar, but obviously it would be better to have the data.

But given nearly a thousand deaths a day, prioritising rollout of first doses makes a lot of sense.

“Pfizer and BioNTech’s phase three study for the Covid-19 vaccine was designed to evaluate the vaccine’s safety and efficacy following a two-dose schedule, separated by 21 days. The safety and efficacy of the vaccine has not been evaluated on different dosing schedules as the majority of trial participants received the second dose within the window specified in the study design.
Data from the phase three study demonstrated that, although partial protection from the vaccine appears to begin as early as 12 days after the first dose, two doses of the vaccine are required to provide the maximum protection against the disease, a vaccine efficacy of 95%.

There are no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days.

While decisions on alternative dosing regimens reside with health authorities, Pfizer believes it is critical that health authorities conduct surveillance efforts on any alternative schedules implemented and to ensure each recipient is afforded the maximum possible protection, which means immunisation with two doses of the vaccine.”

This is their most recent press release, it’s reported in all of the newspapers and on the news channels @purpleboy

This link might help OP.
news.sky.com/story/covid-19-second-dose-of-covid-vaccines-to-be-given-later-after-guidelines-change-12175456

If the first dose is 90% effective, why the need for the second? Is it to prolong the effect?

I agree that if there is no evidence to split the doses by 12 weeks, it seems a very big risk of wasted vaccines.

X post

www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN294257

Hopefully Reuters is sound enough as a source for you @purpleboy

@user1471530109

If the first dose is 90% effective, why the need for the second? Is it to prolong the effect?

I agree that if there is no evidence to split the doses by 12 weeks, it seems a very big risk of wasted vaccines.

www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4826

The BMJ show that the efficacy of the first dose of the Pfizer Biontech was only 52% not 90%.

Can't do links - sorry.
On the Gov.uk website, Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers regarding prioritisation of first doses of vaccines, within that text it says that delaying 2nd doses will enable more people to receive 1st dose thereby giving a larger number of people some immunity.etc etc

I think Matt said yesterday that any 2nd appointments from 4th Jan onwards would be rescheduled to later, creating a 12 week gap.

It makes sense to cover more people by 90%, instead of less people by 95%. Less people should be hospitalised and die overall. I’d be gutted too though.

Am also a bit worried that people who have their second shot then abandon other measures such as social distancing because they assume it’s now safe. Are people carefully told at their second shot that they are now more of a risk to their adult children than the other way around?