Moving abroad— what if we can’t get the same vax for 2nd dose?

[WoohooBeautiful]

My husband and I are both in our 40s. It appears that we will be eligible for vaccination in mid-April at the earliest. We are moving to the USA in June. We don’t want to wait on getting the first dose. It appears the only vaccine in use in both the UK and the USA is the Pfizer one. From what I understand in the UK there’s no way to know which one you will receive. I don’t know how it is in the USA. We will of course try to match them up but what if we can’t get a second dose of the same one? Do we start over with a first dose of a different one or just get a different one for the second dose? It doesn’t seem like anyone really knows...

I don’t think anyone really knows, other than that you get good protection from one dose and the second one is more like a booster. There are some mix-and-match trials in progress but I don’t know when they report.

The USA also has Moderna, which will be available here soon. It’s another frozen one so I guess it will be used on mass sites/hospital sites. I think you’re more likely to get that then Pfizer, as the Pfizer will be mainly used for second doses now.

In your position I'd be asking them if there was any way they could bring the second dose forward. No harm in asking, is there?

I know people who are moving back to the UK from Ireland and are purposely waiting until they have had the 2nd dose before leaving, to avoid this issue.

They are hoping they will get the Pfizer so it'll only be 3 weeks but I think they'd wait even if it was AZ.

It also might be very messy to actually get a 2nd one in a country you are not recorded in as a resident and have no existing doctor in, if you know what I mean.

In your situation I’d be writing to my gp and asking nicely if I could have two doses of whatever not many weeks apart and attaching proof of leaving the country (new job or whatever).
I know the usa is doing well with vaccinations but no idea how it works out there with no NHS.

There's no scientific data yet to prove this, but it may not matter that much. Italy for example is only giving one dose to people who have already HAD covid-19 - the vaccine is thus acting as a booster to the natural immunity.

Moving forward, there's going to be some mixing and matching - it's almost inevitable that vaccinations become a regular thing.

Side note, boosters are generally to promote longevity of immune response - a single shot may give great immunity for a few months - the booster extends that out to 12+ months....

So basically, you could end up with slightly weaker protection, also chance you end up with superior protection. Nobody will know until the data is in which is months away.

If you want to be really safe - get one here which will protect you until June, and then start again in the USA, i.e. do TWO over there.

I read some research that mixing vaccine types is having some very positive results so it may not be an issue.

Given the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine is the only one usable out of a fridge, perhaps choosing one of the larger vaccination centres and not say a pharmacy may increase your chance of having the Pfizer one.