Mixing of vaccines is seen as a potential answer to the delays in logistics and shortage of vaccines in the country. This is especially experienced by individuals who received their first Sputnik V vaccine but yet to receive their second dose.
According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the mix and match procedure is applicable to those vaccines that uses the same technology. Duque said that this strategy is a “safety-net” and gave an example of mixing Pfizer and Moderna which are both mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
Besides the American brand vaccines, there has been a go signal from vaccine experts to mix and match Sputnik V and AstraZeneca as both are “viral vector and uses adenovirus vaccine vector.”
Although a maximum 42 days is recommended between the first and second jab of the Russian brand vaccine, there was a go signal from vaccine experts that once 42 days has lapsed the recipients waiting for their second dose may receive AstraZeneca as their second dose in replacement of the Sputnik V component II.
National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez says that the possibility of mixing shots of Sputnik V to AstraZeneca is currently being studied by the experts and the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).
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