Pfizer second doses

[JS87]

Imagine worse case scenario and EU bans export of Pfizer vaccine. What do you think the government will do? Extend date of second dose past 12 weeks in the hope supply will restart? Leave people will one dose indefinitely or give a booster of a different vaccine (untested in clinical trials although I imagine probably will be effective).

Will there come a point in this situation where they stop giving first doses of Pfizer to stockpile for second dose for vaccines already given?

There was an expert this morning talking about the possibility of a mix and match strategy. In the end the vaccines are all doing the same thing - inducing your body to produce antibodies against the spike protein. Apparently it is possible to do this with different methodologies (the Oxford and the Pfizer vaccine have different ways of doing that) and it can actually provoke a more robust immune response. I mean it makes sense if you think about it.

They use different methodologies to provoke the exact same thing in your body - getting it to product antibodies to the spike protein. So they might be different vaccines but they will all be getting your body to do the same thing.

@lunar1

I've had the Pfizer, I really don't want my second dose to be a different vaccine. Has that even been tested.

Same here. I won't have the second unless it Pfizer. But then I've tested positive for covid 8 days after the first dose. Symptoms started 5 days after my first jab. Not prepared to be their guinea pig. They have already extended the interval between doses without knowing how it effects the efficacy, they won't hesitate to mix and match without knowing if its safe or desirable.

I'm in the one doze Pfizer group, waiting my second in late march and now (obviously!) worried if it will happen.

I would accept an Oxford jab, but would want to effectively start a new course of vaccinations. So I would want two doses of Oxford, at up to a 12 week interval.

I would be reluctant to have a mixed course of one dose pfizer/one dose oxford, unless clear evidence on efficacy of that approach emerges in the interim.

@MiniTheMinx you should have been more careful. It takes 14 days for the vaccine to induce your body to make the antibodies. What can I say.

We celebrated my parents 14 days after being jabbed day today. That is when immunity kicks in.

@blessex, entirely possible @MiniTheMinx is (like me) in healthcare, so had no choice but to carry on the risky business of treating patients whilst waiting for immunity to build.

[quote Blessex]@MiniTheMinx you should have been more careful. It takes 14 days for the vaccine to induce your body to make the antibodies. What can I say.[/quote]
Careful - you sound like you're blaming people for catching the virus....

Well. We should let people who have had the vaccine have 14 days off to build up immunity

We are very quick to quarantine and isolate but of I were your bosses I would say 15 days off post vaccine.

I would have loved 15 days off! I spent my last week in clinics crossing everything frantically I didn't screw up and catch it just as safety was in sight.

My whole team had the vaccine over about a week, when bookings opened up. Judging from my facebook feed pretty much every healthcare worker I know locally (a lot!) had it in a three week window from second week of Jan on.

Sending the entirely NHS workforce home for 15 days all in the same 3 week window is impracticable, especially right now.

I guess my point is you made it sound like @MiniTheMinx caught covid cos she was careless. Out clubbing, illicit socialising, having an illegal haircut maybe. Whereas it's just as possible she caught it at work.

My 2nd dose will be April, I'm not worried - had first dose this week.

EU are behaving foolishly but things will work out. They're just behind everyone in the world in placing orders and will have to stay in more strict lockdown than they'd like.

However, member countries will hopefully see sense that any withholding of vaccines puts them on the world stage as the new Trump. Not a good look.

Don't panic under the EU pressure - it's what they want, and should never give into bullies. Carry on carrying on and things will settle down - you never know they might actually admit they're in the wrong and ask for some help, instead of threatening.

We should try and stay calm

I had my first Pfizer this week and I consented to a 2nd Pfizer so they better honour it! I wouldn't want some mix, thanks all the same.

Not till mid-April so I'm not going to worry about it yet, I've promised myself 😁😁

@ILookAtTheFloor I agree. I would like my parents to have the second jab the same as the first. That is likely to happen. But if it doesn’t then all will be fine. X

@Blessex my nan received her 2nd dose of the Pfizer (she's 94 and had the first well before Xmas) as she consented based upon the 21 day gap and the surgery honoured that consent- so I would say it's the same principle!

I went for my vaccination this morning. They were only giving the Oxford one, to preserve the Pfizer so people get the second dose.

I can't imagine how anyone could begrudge a vaccine for not doing it's job within the first week.

It's like complaining that a cake didn't work because you pulled it out of the oven after four minutes.

@Blessex

They use different methodologies to provoke the exact same thing in your body - getting it to product antibodies to the spike protein. So they might be different vaccines but they will all be getting your body to do the same thing.

And there is zero evidence that having two different vaccines will be efficient or effective in giving protection against infection.

The suggestion of 14 days off post vaccination is ludicrous. Who would Staff a of the services? There's people with certain conditions who have the same four carers on a one-to-one basis, they need the routine and stability familiar carers bring.

It would take to long to vaccinate everyone under those circumstances.

Blessex, if the virus keeps mutating we will all get it, that's if this strain isn't already infectious enough to not be stopped by hands, face, space. Most of us won't know we've had it. Those that are vaccinated, probably won't either. We've now got to get over the fear of being infected.

@Ponoka7 but 14 days for quarantine is not ludicrous.

@Haffiana that’s because we are in the middle of a fast moving pandemic. There is little evidence for anything. So we use the data we have. The best guesses we have. The knowledge we have. What is the alternative? We sit on our hands waiting for the perfect data? No no no

The difference is not all of my team go on holiday and need to quarantine all at once. Even under normal circumstances we only allow a small percentage to take leave at the same time, in order to minimise disruption.

We could have only done this by staggering vaccine distribution - one or two at a time, wait two weeks til they're back, then one or two more. That would have left people vulnerable for much longer than them working in the post-vaccine period.

[quote Blessex]@MiniTheMinx you should have been more careful. It takes 14 days for the vaccine to induce your body to make the antibodies. What can I say.[/quote]
Oh don't be so bloody silly. Its now one of the risks associated with my job. I'm unfortunately looking after people that have taken risks! I found myself in a crowded house with a risk taking family, several police and 2 paramedics. I'm certainly not out partying.