Pfizer, AstraZeneca mixture stronger against COVID-19 – Study

A NEW U.K. research suggests that mixed-dosing schedules of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines generate stronger immune response to COVID-19.

  According the study which was published yesterday on University of Oxford Journal of Coronavirus, a single jab of the mixture responds stronger than having two rounds of AstraZeneca shot, though the highest antibody response was seen in people being fully vaccinated with Pfizer.

  Though not yet peer-reviewed, the result is exploring the use of different combinations of approved COVID-19 vaccines.

  An associate professor in pediatrics and vaccinology at the University of Oxford, Dr. Matthew Snape, this round of research looked at several vaccine combinations: two doses of Pfizer, two of AstraZeneca, and mixing doses with either AstraZeneca or Pfizer as the first shot and the other for the second.

  “The mixed schedules did generate an immune response that was above the threshold set by the [AstraZeneca] vaccine, which we know is very effective against severe disease,” said the study’s chief investigator. Both mixed schedules produced stronger responses than two doses of AstraZeneca, but the research team observed the highest antibody response in people receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. An AstraZeneca shot followed by Pfizer produced the best T-cell responses, the team found, and also a higher antibody response than Pfizer followed by AstraZeneca. Whether that translates into better protection or longer duration, we will have to see,” Snape said.