Is there a way to have the second dose earlier than 8 weeks?

[FeelingJittery1]

My dad passed away today morning..I’m in pieces snd not sure what to do. I’m single jabbed and the next appointment is not until early Oct- is there any way I can have this earlier - maybe in 6 weeks so I can travel when the restrictions lift in my country?

I have a call booked in with the gp tomorrow but has anyone done this? I had Pfizer

Friend working at a drop-in centre says she’ll do them at 7 weeks. They’ve so much stock and so few people coming in that they’re very keen to use it.

Depends on the country. Where I am dp had Pfizer and definitely had it before 8 weeks. Nearer 6 iirc.

Check walk in centres which do the same vaccine as your first dose. Go very late in the day when they have doses which need to be used up before expiry

My DD was refused at the UWE walk in centre in Bristol - they were strictly enforcing an 8 week gap.

So sorry to hear about your dad @FeelingJittery1 - hope you can find a way to get there

Yes my son wanted to get double jabbed before our holiday ( 5 weeks after his first Pfizer jab). As a previous poster suggested, you can go on Reddit to find a list of walk in centres that will do it early. He had to catch a train into London as there was nowhere he lives in Berkshire but he found a place that was vaccinating people with Pfizer just 3 weeks after the first jab.

In Spain it's a 21 day gap between Pfizer Jab

So sorry for your loss OP.
Pfizer was originally deemed safe to be given with a 3 week gap hence US (and some other countries) leaving a 3 week gap. The trials focused on safety and were keen to get safe vaccines with reasonable efficacy out there. The JCVI (U.K.) believed the Pfizer vaccine would be more effective with a longer gap. They’ve been proven correct. The data suggests a sweet spot of 8 week gap is best. The vaccine is safe after 3 weeks but perhaps not as effective. Hence why it’s difficult to obtain the 2nd dose prior to 8 weeks in the U.K.
Having said that I know a number of people who were able to obtain it at 4-5 weeks in the London and south east are due employment overseas.

My surgery will do anyone age 16 or above with a six week gap.

@NotDonna thank you. When you say not as effective does it mean not working against hospitalisation and death?

I f do bot want to get it too early if it’s not going to be effective- then won’t it be as good as not vaccinated? Sorry my head is not in the right place so cannot think

My SIL is in Cyprus and had just over 2 weeks between her Pfizer jabs

Does it have an impact in the efficacy if I bring it early?

Also, does it have a correlation with side effects, as in it being worse?

Does it have an impact in the efficacy if I bring it early?
Yes, but it's still very effective after 3 weeks as the original studies showed.
I don't think the side effects should be any be worse.

@Cookerhood thank you- I’ve got a call booked with the gp tomorrow- I’ll see how that goes.

@FeelingJittery1

My dad passed away today morning..I’m in pieces snd not sure what to do. I’m single jabbed and the next appointment is not until early Oct- is there any way I can have this earlier - maybe in 6 weeks so I can travel when the restrictions lift in my country?

I have a call booked in with the gp tomorrow but has anyone done this? I had Pfizer

so sorry for your loss

many walk in centres will do earlier than 8 weeks - the subreddit get jabbed is a good way of finding out where.

I had mine a 6 weeks and was all fine.

[quote FeelingJittery1]@NotDonna thank you. When you say not as effective does it mean not working against hospitalisation and death?[/quote]
It is still very effective even with a slightly reduced spacing.

The most recent study comparing dosing regimens of pfizer counted the long gap group as anyone between 6-8 weeks too.

@speckledostrichegg thank you - I’m looking at 6 weeks with the 7-14 days to be fully counted after that.

Update- I explained the issues to the GP and she said that she would send a letter to the vaccination team recommending that I have my second one around 6 weeks. I’ll only know if this has been successful if I get notified by the vaccination team with a date..

Just mentioning that for the BioNTech/Pfizer jab the 8-week gap is not based on any meaningful medical evidence of effectiveness. Efficacy in the main clinical trial was about 90% with a 3-4-week gap. The 8-week gap is a white elephant from the days when vaccine availability wasn't so good and policymakers wanted to provide some protection to as many people as possible. Many other countries are vaccinating with pfizer on a 3-4-weekly interval, For what its worth, i'm based in Germany and had AZ and then Pfizer about 6 weeks later.

@TheWhalrus thank you- I opted for 6 weeks so it’s sort of on the middle…incase the efficacy question comes into play. It’s all so confusing and too much to handle..

Longshot as I’m sure you’ve probably already tried this - have you contacted the embassy of the country you would be travelling to? I know some countries (India for example) have been allowing home quarantine in the instance of close family bereavements rather than hotel quarantine

@lurker101 yes tried it- it was a no due to increasing case numbers. Also my mum is not happy me travelling without having the second dose- I don’t want to hassle her more by trying to do something which would cause her more worry

I think you are doing the right thing. The difference in efficacy between 6 & 8 weeks will be negligible. Good luck & I hope you get to see your mum soon.

If I’m being honest I’m really scared of the second dose- I’m trying not to think about all the different heart issues etc..