Second vaccine appointment cancelled

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I work in healthcare. I was due to have my second Pfizer vaccine next week, but I've just been informed that it's been cancelled.
Now, I understand the bigger picture, it means more supplies. Therefore more people can get their first dose, but...
does this compromise the "winning formula" of the Pfizer? Ie two doses 21-28 days apart? Potentially rendering all the first dose Pfizer recipients useless if they don't receive it for a longer period...
plus, I have volunteered to be a vaccinator. One of the provisos of the role is that you need to have received both doses. This will either mean I cannot help out now until March, or they change the rules. Personally as high risk, I would be a little more hesitant volunteering...
Of course the great public health demand is more important, I'm just a bit concerned that this new approach to Pfizer is concerning...

@thaegumathteth How likely are you to get the Pfizer one now the much cheaper Oxford vaccine is around?

It’s a rare moment of competence and sensible decision making from the government.

@Arcadia

That's ridiculous. It will cause so much confusion. Why are they doing this now that we have the oxford vaccine approved with plenty of doses available? Can we not do anything properly?

There are not plenty of doses available. There are 2 million Oxford vaccines available a week. There are approximately 54 million adults in the U.K. Based on just the Oxford vaccine it will take a year to give everyone a single dose by which time they probably need to start again. I’m off to google how many of the first vaccine will be available each week.

Sorry I think that link is the wrong one. Let me try again!

www.theguardian.com/uk
Hopefully this works this time.

@thaegumathteth

People saying they will refuse the Pfizer vaccine - you won't get a choice which one you get.

You get the choice to refuse the one you are offered if your not happy to take it. It may mean that there is not enough of the alternative vaccine for you to be offered another. As a breast feeding women I would take the Oxford one as it’s similar to the flu vaccine which has been tested on breast feeding women but I won’t take the Pfizer one. Although by the time I’m inline for it they may have done trials on bf women although I believe there are only plans for the Oxford vaccine to do so.

[quote RedMarauder]@thaegumathteth How likely are you to get the Pfizer one now the much cheaper Oxford vaccine is around?[/quote]
There is not enough of the Oxford one alone so they need both and maybe even another vaccine.

IMO anyone already booked in for Pfizer 2nd jab should still get it. I see the science behind the az vaccine seems to be more positive about this approach. Pfizer don’t seem very happy about it. But more to the point cancelling appointments right now is going to be a major administrative issue and cause anxiety to a lot of older people who thought they would have both soon.

CDC updated their guidance yesterday;

Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States ...

Administration
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series consist of two doses administered intramuscularly:

Pfizer-BioNTech (30 µg, 0.3 ml each): three weeks (21 days) apart
Moderna (100 µg, 0.5 ml): one month (28 days) apart ...

The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, there is no maximum interval between the first and second dose for either vaccine.

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/31/covid-vaccine-uk-doctors-criticise-rescheduling-of-second-doses

I get the idea but its worrying that we can't be sure its tested, surely we knew that it would take months to vaccinate most people .
Guessing there are bigger delays with production that we are being told.

I think what bothers me is they say they will do something, start it, then it fails, then they downgrade it.

I don;t understand why they can't write an achievable plan first time.

DS and I were discussing this yesterday. I’m concerned. I get the reasoning but they’re going against what was recommended. As stated upthread, Pfizer themselves have spoken out against this plan. Add to that the track record of the government making lots of crap decisions during this pandemic.

The scenario I fear is lots of people get first dose, things open back up, people aren’t as protected as anyone hoped, severe illness and deaths start rising again, lockdown again. And then we’re back to square one. I’d honestly rather see it taking longer, knowing it’s been done properly.

Going against the manufacturer's instructions doesn't seem the best way to keep the public's confidence. I'd much prefer them to continue with the second doses for Pfizer and try this method with the Oxford, whose scientists seem to endorse it.

How many people will actually bother to come back with a 3 month gap?!

@ScribblingPixie yes that makes sense

@inquietant

I read somewhere that we do not have the capacity to get the Oxford vaccine into the vials quickly...?

The UK has not shown itself to be a world leader in logistical planning during this pandemic.

You'd think we hadn't spent the last 6 months pretty much banking on the oxford vaccine to get us out of this mess.

Unfathomable that it isn't all systems go with the manufacturing.

The 21 day gap was never going to happen! There are barely enough HCPs available to deal with the limited stock of vaccine presently available, how would they cope with the situation when the first tranche of vaccinated people started turning up for their second injection when they are also trying to give subsequent tranches their first. The workload would have doubled in 21 days. I think the 12 week gap is clinging to hope that within those 12 weeks enough HCP/Army Personnel/ well meaning volunteers who fancy it ( please not!) , will somehow appear to cope with the demand.

It’s another government logistics nightmare cock up brewing.

This is so poor. I can't say I'm surprised though.

Two of my friends are going to be Covid vaccinators but they won’t have had the jabs.

I have just emailed my DM's GP practice to see if they have any discretion over this and whether she can have her 2nd jab as planned in the 9th. I am due back to work on Monday in an SEN residential school where SI is not possible and some of the children/residential staff have contracted the virus over the holidays. My DM had part of one of her lungs removed due to a cancerous nodule. I cannot be my DM's "safe" support bubble until I know she has the full cover.

It has been clearly explained. The efficacy is not compromised if there is as much as a 12 week interval, and you do have increased immunity from the first vaccination after a couple weeks. The idea is to get as many vaccinated with one shot and as supplies come in get the second vaccine done. People far more knowledgeable about immunology and the relevant vaccines have talked about this system.

@FippertyGibbett

Two of my friends are going to be Covid vaccinators but they won’t have had the jabs.

I’ve just applied to be a vaccinator but I won’t be doing it unless I have one jab. Not putting myself at risk.

I expect my Trust will also cancel my second jab which was due in the 16th. I’m furious. As already stated, Pfizer themselves are against this increased in time between vaccinations as it isn’t as well tested. I think we should honour what we promised to everyone who had had the first vaccine. The man power to change appointments is a waste also.

The vaccination teams are continuing to go into schools and vaccinate children wearing PPE. I don’t see how doing Covid vaccinations are any different.