A few researchers in a letter published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine argued that the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine could be delayed, despite previous opposition to such a move by health authorities .
In the letter, Canada-based researchers Danuta Skowronski and Gaston De Serres argued that based on the analysis of documents submitted by Pfizer to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the vaccine has an efficacy rate of about 92.6 percent after the first dose.
Pfizer’s vaccine, currently allowed to be issued in two doses 21 days apart, reported an efficacy of 94.8 percent compared to COVID-19 after two doses.
Given the relatively small increase in the efficacy rate between the first and second doses, the authors argued in the letter that ‘the benefits of a rare amount of vaccine can be maximized by postponing second doses until all members of the priority group at least offered. a dose. ”
The authors acknowledged that although there may be ‘uncertainty about the duration of protection with a single dose’, the second dose weeks after the first ‘offers a little extra benefit in the short term, while high-risk individuals who’ could have received a first dose, leaving the vaccine supply completely unprotected. ”
The researchers further argued that ‘the postponement of the second dose is a matter of national security which, if ignored, will certainly cause thousands of Covid-19-related hospitalizations and deaths this winter in the United States – hospitalizations and deaths that would have been prevented with a first dose of vaccine. ”
The medical journal also published Pfizer’s response to the letter, in which the pharmaceutical manufacturer noted that ‘alternative dosing regimens’ for the vaccine had not yet been properly evaluated.
“The decision to introduce alternative dosing regimens rests with health authorities,” Pfizer continued. “However, we at Pfizer believe that it is critical for healthcare authorities to oversee implemented alternative dosing schedules to ensure that vaccines provide the maximum possible protection.”
The letters come as experts remain divided on whether to delay the second dose of coronavirus vaccines so that more people in high-priority groups can get faster protection against COVID-19.
Anthony Fauci
Anthony Fauci Many NBA players concerned about promoting COVID-19 vaccines: White House reports that teachers’ vaccinations are not necessary for schools to reopen CNN’s John Berman., the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he does not agree with experts calls for a delayed second dose, adding that more research will be needed to measure the long-term level of protection that individuals can receive with just one dose.
“The amount of time it will take, the amount of people you will have to spend on the study – by that time we will already be in the arena to have enough, to have enough vaccines anyway,” Fauci said.
“But what we have now, and what we have to go with, is the scientific data we have collected, and that is very good,” he added. ‘We know it’s 21 days or 28 days. You can do both. You can get as many people in their first dose at the same time as following the schedule for the second dose within reason. “