How soon can you get your 2nd jab after the 1st?

[Ladyks3]

Some places in the US do the 2nd jab 21 days after the first one (friends & family had this done, might not be everywhere in the US). In the UK an appointment for the 2nd jab is 8-12wks after the first jab. Just curious why this is & if anyone has gone to a walk-in location and had the 2nd one sooner, or had it earlier a different way?

Pfizer recommend a three week gap. In the UK, we decided to do it 12 weeks apart to maximise the number of people we could quickly get through while we were ramping up vaccination. This was later reduced to 8 weeks as it became clear that Delta can pretty easily get by a single vaccine. Research has since suggested that a slightly longer gap (ie 8-11 weeks) results in a better immune response, but if faced by high levels of Delta, I do wonder whether 3 weeks and fully vaccinated is preferable to 8 weeks half vaccinated?

I had my first yesterday and they said 6-8 weeks for th next. But they said that's how they do it in that clinic which was a specialist allergy & complex patient clinic so, I'm not sure if that is the same as the regular places.

This said though the nurse showed me online where I could book and it said on the nhs site 10-12 weeks for the second jab - she said that was out of date now and it's not that long a gap.

I have heard numerous reports of my local walk-in centre turning people away before 8 weeks (even a friend who was 7w+6d and going on holiday for a fortnight the following day).

The UK started doing Pfizer both jabs 3 weeks apart, but soon changed it to 12 weeks, firstly to give it to more people and secondly it was found that a longer interval would give better long term protection. Due to the Delta variant, the uk wanted to get as many people double jabbed so made it possible to get the second vaccine at 8 weeks. Which is the current position. Some places have given it earlier if people turn up at the end of the day, but not many. There is no other way in uk to get it.

@Mindymomo

The UK started doing Pfizer both jabs 3 weeks apart, but soon changed it to 12 weeks, firstly to give it to more people and secondly it was found that a longer interval would give better long term protection. Due to the Delta variant, the uk wanted to get as many people double jabbed so made it possible to get the second vaccine at 8 weeks. Which is the current position. Some places have given it earlier if people turn up at the end of the day, but not many. There is no other way in uk to get it.

I guess the clinic I was at that said they prefer 6 weeks was due to the nature of the clinic then.

So I guess if you got the second one earlier than 8wks, but in a different country (even if both Pfizer) then it probably wouldn’t be recognised in the UK? Better long term protection makes sense for the longer gap, but if boosters are going to be implemented anyway doesn’t it make sense to get everyone double jabbed sooner due to Delta like PP said?

@Ladyks3

So I guess if you got the second one earlier than 8wks, but in a different country (even if both Pfizer) then it probably wouldn’t be recognised in the UK? Better long term protection makes sense for the longer gap, but if boosters are going to be implemented anyway doesn’t it make sense to get everyone double jabbed sooner due to Delta like PP said?

Why wouldn't it be? I'm having my second one after 6 weeks in the UK, so it's obviously fine? I don't understand what the issue is here to be honest. Unless I'm missing something

@CordeliasPencil I never said there was an issue I’ve just seen a lot of conflicting information about what the UK would accept in terms of wait times & also quarantine rules for the vaccinated and was curious what others have read/done themselves. Was your 1st jab also done in the UK?

I had both Pfizer jabs done by my dr only 6 weeks apart which seemed early to me. But i now double jabbed and got my covid pass letter sent to me so I guess it must be ok

My parents both had them 3 weeks apart back at Christmas time. Mine was 8, DS’s was 5.

[quote Ladyks3]@CordeliasPencil I never said there was an issue I’ve just seen a lot of conflicting information about what the UK would accept in terms of wait times & also quarantine rules for the vaccinated and was curious what others have read/done themselves. Was your 1st jab also done in the UK?[/quote]
Yes . First yesterday in the UK and my second will be in 6 weeks in the UK. But as I said this was in a hospital setting not a regular vaccination centre.

Has anyone gotten their first dose in the UK, then traveled to the US or a different country, and taken their second dose in the different country because they could get it sooner? Or vice versa?