Mixed vaccine

[MrsKellySeveride]

My DM has been invited for her 2nd covid19 vaccination next week. The text states she will be having the Pfizer vaccination, however her first dose was Astra Zeneca - I've read multiple publications, including the BMJ stating that vaccinations should not be mixed until further research is carried out.

Does anyone have any information/knowledge regarding this please?

Ring them and ask

I've tried to ring the 0800 number which was on the text multiple times - it hasn't connected, possibly call volume??

Try 119

Ring 119, it is probably a mistake.

Finally managed to speak to a person - it is a mistake and they haven't actually got a stock of AZ vaccines anywhere (I said I was prepared to drive her to anywhere that had them, but there isn't anywhere).
If there isn't an AZ vaccine available before the 3 month window closes for DM on 11th April, she will have to start all over again and have the Pfizer vaccine as a new "1st dose".

I could cry for her

@MrsKellySeveride

Finally managed to speak to a person - it is a mistake and they haven't actually got a stock of AZ vaccines anywhere (I said I was prepared to drive her to anywhere that had them, but there isn't anywhere). If there isn't an AZ vaccine available before the 3 month window closes for DM on 11th April, she will have to start all over again and have the Pfizer vaccine as a new "1st dose".

I could cry for her

If AZ isn’t available and she has two Pfizer vaccines, so three doses in total, is say she is actually doing really well in terms of being protected even if it is frustrating about waiting for the last dose.

I am sorry to hear this.

When does she get to 12 weeks?

They said that if it's after the 3 month window, even if AZ becomes available, she'll have to start again.

Very frustrating.

@StarCat2020

I am sorry to hear this.

When does she get to 12 weeks?

She'll be at the end of 3 months on 11th April.

Thats rotten, I didn't realise this may happen.

I'd suggest:

1. Speaking to the GP practice (the GP vaccine system is seperate - they may have AZ).
2. If that fails, speaking to your local PALS team.

I had to put up a bit of an argument as the person I spoke to said she must have had the Pfizer originally. Only when I read the batch number out that is recorded on her vaccination card did she believe me. She then admitted my DM was the 3rd person they this had happened to.

I totally understand that it's all new and systems aren't tried and tested yet but it's such a waste if people have to start again having already had a dose.

DM is now on a waiting list of an AZ dose becomes available.

Is it possible its to do with all the issues of the vaccine being blocked? If so then what are they supposed to do? At least they are offering an alternative and not leaving her hanging.

Are you in England OP?
If you are, it's very misleading for you to be told there is no AZ anywhere. That really is not the case at all.

@Char2015

Are you in England OP? If you are, it's very misleading for you to be told there is no AZ anywhere. That really is not the case at all.

Yes, in a major city in England.

Pfizer is more likely to be distributed to the main vaccination centres because of the moving and storage issues, is that where she went? DD's GP surgery is doing AZ this week.

I had AZ today. I also work for a large NHS trust in large city. We are advertising appointments as we have so many available. This includes both AZ and Pfizer. Also, second doses have been allocated to those already had first dose and these are set aside. I don't understand why there appears to be some sort of issue and it really doesn't sound like you have been given correct info. Individuals should not have to start the vaccine process again and shouldn't be mixing vaccines.

I did think that it seemed ridiculous to alter the interval to 12 weeks therefore leaving no slack.

Personally I would have thought that maybe extending the gap to 9-10 weeks would have been better to give a little more "wiggle room".

@TabbyStar

Pfizer is more likely to be distributed to the main vaccination centres because of the moving and storage issues, is that where she went? DD's GP surgery is doing AZ this week.

She went to a local "hub" - the leisure centre which has been intermittently opening and closing as our region keeps having to wait for the rest of the country to catch up.

The person I spoke to had access to the bookings for the whole of the city but nowhere is currently stocking AZ.

Strange of them to say there isn’t any AZ.

Scrolling through Facebook today, all the ‘holding my vaccination card’ pics I’ve seen have said AZ, and those are people spread out all over the UK.

DH and I had ours last week and the centre (London) said they have only had AZ for weeks

The GP's booking system isn't the same as the central one, they're completely separate.

Though DD has just said you have to have the second one where you had the first.

I didn't know this. This sounds crap doesn't it? What a mess.

Is there not a trial running that suggests two different vaccines results in higher immunity?

@Char2015

I had AZ today. I also work for a large NHS trust in large city. We are advertising appointments as we have so many available. This includes both AZ and Pfizer. Also, second doses have been allocated to those already had first dose and these are set aside. I don't understand why there appears to be some sort of issue and it really doesn't sound like you have been given correct info. Individuals should not have to start the vaccine process again and shouldn't be mixing vaccines.

I too work for the NHS in a very large hospital - the hospital have been offering vaccines to staff members and their families to keep key workers in work. I hadn't used the service for DM as I'd booked her 1st dose locally. I might try contacting the hospital vaccination service tomorrow to see if they have a different stock.