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...

@Dogatetheleftovers

Pfizer Biontec have issued a statement in which they categorically state

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.ft.com/content/d97c72c5-ed23-4c2b-bf1c-9cc10b21f007" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.ft.com/content/d97c72c5-ed23-4c2b-bf1c-9cc10b21f007</a>

Although partial protection through the vaccine appears to begin as early as 12 days after the first jab, Pfizer stressed that two doses were required to provide the maximum protection against the disease, with an efficacy figure of 95 per cent. Crucially, it said: “There are no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days.”

I understand the idea to spread the vaccine programme as far as possible but only if protection is achievable otherwise it’s just a waste of precious resources surely.

Makes you think the govt are risking peoples lives so they can look better......so they can say we’ve vaccinated x amount of people rather than y amount

Can i ask you about applying to be a vacvinator. Can you confirm that you have been told you need to have had noth doses before you can do it? The reason is that I would like to do this but would prefer the vacine first as my family are extremely anxious about covid

Yes. This was confirmed in a letter from my health board several weeks ago. However, I suspect they will change their stance on it in light of these recent events.
I suspect there will be less volunteers however. I'm less sure myself now re volunteering

Re: Vaccinator positions - I've been working as a vaccinator for two weeks now, when I started I hadn't had a single dose and was expected to apply for a slot like any other health care worker. As Pfizer can 'time out' and we are 100% making sure no doses are lost I got my first vaccination my first day when we had one extra at the end. Everyone is working so incredibly hard to make sure the maximum people are vaccinated every day and not a drop of vaccine goes to waste.

I also heard about this today. Im having a hard time trying to persuade my 84 year old parents to have the vaccine as it is in the first place.
i can hear my dads reaction now. "there is no way im having it if it involves being pratted about"

You do all realise that the nasal spray vaccine that all the kids receive 1 dose of, is recommended to be given as a 2 dose schedule by the manufacturer?

Amazing how no one seems to have a problem with, or be an armchair expert on that......

It is inconvenient that 50% of vaccination slots going into late Jan and Feb are blocked by 2nd doses but unfortunately we just don’t have enough evidence that this is safe and it is too big a gamble.

Was due my 2nd dose mid Jan but who knows now, I don’t have massive fears for myself but just that on a population level we are making a big mistake.

This is the link to a statement from JVCI

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Personally I think all those who have had their first Pfizer dose should have the second as planned. It was what they signed up to and consented for. MHRA approved the vaccine based on Pfizer data and this dosing regimen. It's the MHRA who have now allowed the 12 week gap. To be clear Pfizer has not amended their dosing or submitted an amendment, They have no data for this new strategy so it's unknown.

It would make more sense to dose those existing as planned and start with the new dosing 12 weeks apart going forwards for the Oxford vaccine. It's not been handheld well or been very transparent

Have all the second doses been cancelled? I'm afraid to ask my grandparents. They're in their 90s and were so excited to have their first dose on Christmas Eve.

Is anyone actually surprised this has turned into a confusing, mind boggling clusterfuck?

The government has said they should be postponed but I think there is probably some leeway in individual centres.

70% protection until 2nd dose i heard thats why they have put 2nd dose off for 12weeks.

The 70% protection is based on studies where jab 2 is given at 21 days, though.
They simply do not know for sure if the protection lasts for 12 weeks.

I am a vaccinator (bank shifts on top of my main job). I am furious about this too, it is an experiment that none of us signed up to. Thankfully our trust have agreed to complete the care home schedule as previously planned - all first doses have been given, the 2nd will be given 3 weeks after. All staff have had appointments cancelled and rescheduled for 10 weeks time. I get the idea of it - better to have lots of people with some immunity than few people with lots of immunity. But they have no evidence to suggest that this strategy will work. It seems like they are potentially going to waste all the time effort and precious vaccines if this all goes tits up and we will be back to square one. Had a proper trial been set up to test it, I would have happily signed up - I am not worried about myself as an individual in this, but the overall picture of worry that we could be back were we started.

I initially wondered was it because they were 'tweaking' the vaccine in light of new mutations, but I assume they would have given this as the reason if so?

@LostInWales

Re: Vaccinator positions - I've been working as a vaccinator for two weeks now, when I started I hadn't had a single dose and was expected to apply for a slot like any other health care worker. As Pfizer can 'time out' and we are 100% making sure no doses are lost I got my first vaccination my first day when we had one extra at the end. Everyone is working so incredibly hard to make sure the maximum people are vaccinated every day and not a drop of vaccine goes to waste.

You're wonderful - thank you for doing this - just thanks thanks thanks - seriously - how would we cope without our wonderful healthcare workers.

I'm a 56 year old clinically extremely vulnerable frontline health care professional who luckily had first dose of Pfizer vaccine before Christmas and was due 2nd dose on 19th January.....I feel like I'm now a pawn in some government experiment, and advice of vaccine manufacturer is not being adhered to
I'm currently shielding again and working from home and now have no idea when I'll be able to return to work in hospital to help my colleagues

FIL had his first vaccination yesterday and the surgery have made him a second appointment for three weeks time. Hopefully that means they are going to be providing the 2 doses to people as the manufacturer planned.

I do hope you are right and I am sure I have read some where that there is some discretion for GP surgeries. My mum's is due on 9th Jan. It hasn't been cancelled yet but I don't feel confident.

Yes the letter sent out to hospital chief execs and GPs says “the second dose appointment should be rescheduled in most instances (with clinical discretion applied locally if needed)”.

@Stopyourhavering64

I'm a 56 year old clinically extremely vulnerable frontline health care professional who luckily had first dose of Pfizer vaccine before Christmas and was due 2nd dose on 19th January.....I feel like I'm now a pawn in some government experiment, and advice of vaccine manufacturer is not being adhered to I'm currently shielding again and working from home and now have no idea when I'll be able to return to work in hospital to help my colleagues

I’m in a similar situation. It’s ridiculous.

I’m embarrassed to be British. This vaccination fiasco is appalling.

My work have confirmed we won’t be getting our second jab on time. I get that they had no choice but I wish they had pushed back against this government bollocks. We are all now being experimented on without our consent. Livid.

This letter sums up the concerns

Thanks for posting that letter @boxingdayclearout

[quote Em777]Snippet from an article on this in the Telegraph:

Lizzie Toberty, a GP spokeswoman for DAUK, warned the intervention “undermined the vaccine programme as a whole.”

She told the Telegraph: “The idea that the Government can come in and change the schedule without an evidence base is extremely concerning.

“It is population protection versus individual protection. Their logic seems to be that if we confer some protection on as many people as possible, perhaps that is better than fully protecting certain cohorts. But the over 80s need the fullest protection. This is an untested strategy. It’s a huge gamble.”

Dr Toberty warned that patients who had not consented to receiving the Pfizer vaccine 12 weeks apart might now legitimately request the Oxford vaccine, rendering the last eight weeks “wasted.”

Dr Katrina Farrell, a haematologist, revealed on Twitter that she had received a letter cancelling her appointment for her second jab.

“This means that the vaccine is not being delivered as licensed,” she said. “I did not consent to receive an off-label drug with no evidence of benefit with a single dose.

“This means that tens of thousands of Scottish & UK health & social care workers have rolled their sleeve up for a vaccine unlicensed at this dose schedule. For which they did not consent. This is a scandal.”

Aside from a lack of evidence about immunity, Dr Toberty said the logistical challenge of contacting thousands of elderly patients to change their appointments would be time consuming, impractical and cause anxiety for many.

Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP committee, said it was “grossly and patently unfair to tens of thousands of our most at-risk patients” to try and reschedule their appointments.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/31/gps-rebel-govt-change-pfizer-vaccine-strategy-12-weeks-calling/[/quote]
Technically the vaccine isn’t licensed at all. It’s had emergency approval but it is still an unlicensed vaccine whether you get the two doses at the correct time or not. It’s the first thing they check with you when you are given it that you are aware the vaccine is unlicensed.

Maybe Lizzie Toberty needs to find out that plenty of over 80s haven't had any vaccination yet. Some protection for all of them should be a priority so should protection for those in care homes.

Maybe Dr Katrina Farrell should consider that health workers weren't in the first tier for vaccinations, that was for the elderly and their carers in care homes. Perhaps she could explain what she did to raise concerns about getting her first vaccination before people who were supposedly ahead of her in the queue.