Mixing AZ and Pfizer thread gathering studies, info and which countries

[Rainbowsandstorms]

I’m looking to gather together as much information as possible re AZ as a first dose and Pfizer as a second and I’m wondering if anyone who knows anything about this approach could share what they know.

I’m particularly interested in which countries have been doing this and / or offering the choice of doing this. Any links to info would be hugely appreciated.

Links to any studies and / news reports regarding this mix including ones from countries that have been widely authorising this approach.

Details of when the next comcom mixing trial results are due to be released if anyone knows. I’d heard mid June but haven’t yet seen anything.

Finally I’m also interested to hear from anyone who has been given this mix of vaccinations.

This isn’t an anti AZ thread I’m just wanting to try and gather as much info as possible re this approach and I’d hugely appreciate a bit of help from anyone who is able to.

There have been a couple of studies in Germany.
This is one from Saarland University:
www.uni-saarland.de/fileadmin/upload/aktuell/pdf/2021/PM_111a_Impfstoffvergleich_Sester.pdf

It seems to find that mixing (first AZ then Pfizer) provides better immune response than two AZ doses.
"it does indicate that a second dose of AstraZeneca is not able to trigger the full potential that is actually present in this vaccine," explains immunology expert Martina Sester.

Not sure the link will work... www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.13.21258859v1

I’m on the Com-Cov trial snd goind out this we’re that we are being unblinded next week! Can’t wait to know what I’ve had. Hopefully the immunogenicity results will be available soon too.

And this was a small study of 300 healthcare workers at Charite hospital in Berlin:
www.spiegel.de/gesundheit/corona-kombination-von-astrazeneca-und-biontech-laut-studie-wirksam-und-gut-vertraeglich-a-b6327c72-80d9-423f-90c8-fe049fbcec99

Interestingly, they found that side effects (fever etc) were stronger after the first dose of AZ than the second dose of Pfizer/Moderna. This is opposite to the interim results ComCov study on mixing.

They think it's to do with the longer period between doses (10-12 weeks) in the Berlin study.

It also found mixing had similar immune response to two mRNA vaccines.

Both these studies haven't yet been peer reviewed.

A huge thank you to all of you who have posted information. I’ll have a good read through. Many thanks.

Just read through them all thank you so much. Really informative and makes me feel more reassured about potentially taking this course of action. @SheilaTakeABow the link worked thank you 😊.

Glad it worked @Rainbowsandstorms. I believe from the other thread you and I are in the same boat - overdue our second AZ, waiting for the MHRA every week and finding it worse news each time.

I'm lucky, though, as I've had confirmed Covid and still have antibodies from late last year, which makes my decision to hesitate easier.

I do feel there'll be a switch in policy to allow mixing soon; I think the UK is one of the last countries still giving it to under 50s now.

@SheilaTakeABow thank you, yes that’s me. I’ve seen lots of suggestions that natural infection plus one dose provides pretty good protection so that’s a good start. I’m struggling as I’m in an area where our infection rate is double the national average and rising with two little ones in school / preschool. I keep hoping the MRHA report will give me the confidence I need but that’s not happening. I think my chances of being allowed to mix are slim too though so many countries are now doing this. What a nightmare!

Canada is offering either AZ or mRNA vaccine as second dose following first dose of AZ

www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/services/immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci/recommendations-use-covid-19-vaccines/recommendations-use-covid-19-vaccines-en.pdf

In Sweden if you’re under 60 you can choose Pfizer as your second dose if you want too ,if you had your first dose of Astra Zeneca before they found out about the blood clots. AZ is banned for everyone under 60 in Sweden atm.

My friend who’s a nurse and 43 years old choose Pfizer as her second dose and was absolutely fine .

I've just seen this one Twitter. I recently started following this account as she's following the AZ issues really closely. This is the latest news from Norway - the first to spot the VITT issues, so you'd assume they're pretty on it when it comes to adverse effects.
twitter.com/mimifontaine/status/1405873021609558017?s=19

What an interesting thread. I'm still experiencing side effects from the AZ (March 2021) and I'm very interested in how I'l be if I have the pfizer as my second vaccine as the doc suggests I should.

I had a clotting reaction to the first AZ, along with three days of fever, chills and aches, so I was put forward for a second Pfizer.

The first time I attended, they wouldn't vaccinate me as they said it didn't meet the government requirement for a very specific type of blood clot to mix vaccines. The CCG got involved and booked me two more appointments, the first of which also refused.

Then I got pregnant... The second was then unsure.

In the end, after lots of discussions with the CCG, my GP and the RGOG, they said it was my call; but that people who mix the vaccines have had worse "minor" side effects (chills, aches, flus, etc), reported from across Canada and Europe. There's also uncertainty about how any boosters or further vaccines would work for people who have mixed.

For that reason, I nervously had my 2nd AZ yesterday morning. It was fine, to be fair. Slightly sore arm from the jab; but nothing else.

I've made my peace with it. I was too concerned about rising rates and more and more people ditching masks/social distancing to risk just the one dose, even though I've got some natural immunity too - just incase one of the variants turns out differently.

I suspect it'll be a tough path to mix them for now, but I wish you the best of luck with it, if that feels the best for you.

Following with interest as I'm eligible for my second AZ from next week. I was massively hesitant about taking the first (am aged 41) and spent a good month being anxious about an extreme adverse reaction, including visiting A&E due to a bit of pinprick bruising appearing on my leg five days post-jab. (Dismissed without even having a blood test though as 'the bruised area was pretty small'.)

Really not keen to have the second, despite not being killed by the first. But also keen not to delay unduly with rising rates, children in school, etc.

I would happily enough have a Pfizer jab though, especially if the results from the mixing studies are promising.

Could I go to a walk-in centre this weekend, tell them I haven't had a jab yet, and get Pfizer I wonder?

Assuming not, as presumably even without an appt they look you up on the NHS database and would see that I'd had an AZ jab a couple of months ago.

But I wish it WAS possible!

Best case scenario there will be more answers soon about who’s at risk of getting VITT and how to prevent it. There’s ongoing research about this and I think it’s quite urgent , it’s important for other countries to be able to use AZ and there’s also discussions about using AZ as a profit making booster jab ,but then it needs to be safe.

@TakeYourFinalPosition thank you for sharing, that’s really helpful. It sounds like it may not be possible to manage to mix them
then, especially when it’s just due to my concern. I’m sorry you had a bad reaction to your first and I really hope you’re ok after your second. I really wish the U.K. would follow the large number of countries now offering a choice but I suspect it’s due to supply issues with Pfizer. If I’m not able to mix then I think I’m going to have to accept my second dose and keep everything crossed.

Good luck @Rainbowsandstorms💐