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Here’s what experts say you should know about mixing and matching Corona inoculations! Pay attention to these 6 points!
Mixing Corona Vaccines – Yes or No?
As of October 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of single-dose booster shots for all three COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson). In addition, the FDA has approved the practice of mixing and combining booster vaccines for all three brands. This means that regardless of which vaccine you originally received, you can receive a booster shot of any of the three vaccines available in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed both of these decisions. While these new developments make booster vaccination more convenient than ever, they also raise a whole new set of questions about the practice of combining booster vaccinations. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together the latest evidence from top health authorities, agencies and doctors to bring some clarity to this issue. Read on to learn what the experts think you should know about mixing and combining booster shots.
1. All three brands of vaccines are approved as booster shots
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As of October 20, the FDA has approved the use of Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as single-dose boosters for eligible recipients.
“A single booster dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines may be administered as a heterologous booster dose after completion of the primary vaccination with another available COVID-19 vaccine,” the FDA said in a statement.
2. Eligible recipients of the J&J vaccine may receive a booster dose two months after their first dose
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According to the FDA, patients who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as their initial vaccination can receive a one-time booster dose from J&J, Moderna, or Pfizer if they are at least 18 years old and received their first J&J vaccination at least two months ago. However, the guidelines for booster vaccination for people who originally received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine are different.
3. Eligible Moderna and Pfizer vaccine recipients may receive a booster shot six months after their second dose
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If you received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine as your first vaccination, you’ll have to wait a little longer to get a booster. The FDA says patients who were vaccinated with Moderna or Pfizer can get a single booster dose of J&J, Moderna, or Pfizer if it has been at least six months since the second dose of the two-dose series.
Patients must continue to meet at least one of the following criteria to be eligible for a booster: They are 65 years of age and older, 18 to 64 years of age, and at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease, or they are 18 to 64 years of age and work in high-risk settings.
4. Combination booster vaccinations are considered safe
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Although data are limited, experts say there is no evidence that a booster shot from a brand other than the one that produced the first COVID vaccine is dangerous or harmful. In a recent study submitted to the CDC, individuals who received combined booster vaccines were followed up, and no serious or adverse events related to the vaccines were reported, the Washington Post reported Oct. 21.
5. Combining different vaccines may increase protection against the virus
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Much research remains to be done to gather meaningful evidence on the benefits of combined booster vaccines. However, initial studies have shown that in patients who received the J&J vaccine as their first COVID-19 vaccine, a booster shot from Moderna or Pfizer may result in higher antibody levels.
“If you look at the amount of antibodies that are induced – if you had J&J originally and then you get Moderna or Pfizer, for example – the amount of antibodies, that is, the proteins that you would predict would protect you, goes up higher with the Moderna booster from J&J than with the J&J booster,” Anthony Fauci, MD, senior medical advisor to the White House, said in a recent appearance on ABC’s This Week.
6. But it’s not necessary to combine everything together
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Most experts seem to agree that while mixing and matching vaccines can have some potential benefits, it is by no means necessary. More important than anything is getting vaccinated, and if you are vaccinated, you should get a booster shot as soon as you are eligible. All vaccines and their single booster dose have been shown to be effective in protecting against COVID-19.
“Under almost any circumstance, we should say that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are generally interchangeable,” Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency medicine physician and professor of public health at George Washington University, said in a recent interview on PBS News Hour. “There’s no particular reason to switch from Pfizer or Moderna to one of the others. And there are really very few circumstances in which you should switch to a J&J vaccine.”
7. Consult your doctor if you’re unsure whether a combination of vaccines is right for you
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While both the FDA and CDC have approved the use of all three brands of vaccines as single-dose boosters, neither agency has given official advice on combining vaccines. Therefore, it’s best to discuss with your doctor which option is best for you, Mohammad Sobhanie, MD, an infectious disease expert at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, recently told AARP.
“I think it’s incredibly important to have these conversations with your primary care physician so they can give you the best advice based on your medical conditions,” he said.