A pharmacist dilutes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine while preparing it for administration to staff and residents of the Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, an elderly community in Falls Church, Virginia, on Dec. 30, 2020.
Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
LONDON – Health experts have endorsed the UK’s decision to conditionally support the administration of a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, warning that the need to suppress the new coronavirus strain “is not overemphasized”.
It comes shortly after the UK said the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, in addition to the newly approved Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, would now be given up to 12 weeks after the first dose.
The National Health Service had previously planned to administer a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine three weeks after the first vaccine, to ensure it would maintain a high level of protection against the virus.
The UK’s independent Scientific Advisory Group on Emergency Situations (SAGE) said in a statement published Sunday that it was a “very difficult and well-balanced decision,” but endorsed the UK government’s move to maximize the population. reach.
However, it said the policy change must be accompanied by several other measures. These include: the publication of a detailed and convincing strategy to scale up vaccination roll-out, the development of a rigorous evaluation process, a real-time evaluation of ongoing viral variation and the need to limit traffic to and from Great Britain to the rest of the world.
SAGE is made up of health experts and academics and is co-chaired by the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Medical Director.
Meghana Pandit, chief medical officer at the Oxford University NHS Trust, right, speaks with Trevor Cowlett, 88, before receiving AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine on Monday at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, UK, 4 January 2021. British regulators took the shot last week, marking the first global approval.
Steve Parsons | PA Wire | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The comments come despite the British Medical Association criticizing the UK’s decision to delay the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. It described the move as “extremely unfair” to thousands of at-risk patients in England.
“The BMA believes that the existing commitment of the NHS and local clinicians to these patients should be respected. If GPs decide to honor these booked appointments in January, the BMA will support them,” said Dr. Richard Vautre, Chairman of the BMA GP Committee. said in a statement on Dec. 31.
Responding to these concerns, the SAGE Committee said, “Under normal circumstances, we would argue in favor of continuing the previous plans to administer two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 21 days apart. However, these are not normal conditions and there are other important public health considerations. “
The German Ministry of Health on Monday sought the advice of an independent vaccination committee whether or not to follow in the footsteps of the UK.
A ministry spokesman confirmed to CNBC that the German government had asked the Robert Koch Institute’s Standing Committee on Vaccination whether the country should delay a second injection of the Pfizer vaccine. “Such a decision requires scientific consideration,” they added.
‘Hard’ measures required
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that the government could soon announce stricter public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Johnson said “tough” measures could apply in the coming weeks. Currently more than three quarters of the UK population is in level 4 – the highest level of disability.
The opposition Labor party has said the government must impose a national lockdown within 24 hours, warning that the virus is “clearly out of control.”
The UK registered more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid-19 infections on Sunday for the sixth consecutive day. The country continues to fight a new strain of the virus that is spreading faster.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the UK has reported more than 2.6 million cases of coronavirus to date, with 75,137 deaths.
“It is now clear that the new variant of the virus, which appears to have emerged in the South East of England, is significantly more transmissible than previous variants, at 40-80%,” SAGE said in a statement on Jan. 3.
“It is also clear that the current Tier 4 restrictions cannot control its spread, even with the closure of schools and universities.”
“The pandemic is now out of control and the NHS is struggling, with some hospitals having to shut down non-COVID operations. The NHS is no longer protected. For these reasons, there is a strong argument for maximizing population coverage.” at least one dose of vaccine, even if it requires a change in dosing schedule, ”the group added.