Mixing of Covid vaccines: Which countries have allowed it so far?

Dubai - Several countries have opted to mix different brands of Covid vaccinations to help pandemic efforts.

Several countries have opted to mix different brands of the Covid vaccine, with others, including Russia and South Korea, mulling the option over. Many have established large-scale clinical trials and studies to determine the strategy’s efficacy, with multiple countries deeming the strategy safe and effective in handling the pandemic.

1.UAE

Residents in Abu Dhabi who have received both doses of the Sinopharm vaccine now have the option to take the Pfizer-BioNTech jab as well. The vaccine is administered only through prior appointments and on furnishing a signed consent form from a doctor. There are two consent forms available for free at the centres- one to be filled by the applicant and another by a physician.

2.Bahrain

The country has begun offering a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for some people, six months after they received two shots of China’s Sinopharm vaccine. the government now recommends that people over 50, the obese and people with weakened immune systems receive the Pfizer shot regardless of whether they first received Sinopharm.

3.Canada

People who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine may receive Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for their second dose, unless contraindicated, Canadian authorities announced. The new guidance also advises that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be mixed for first and second doses. But it is not recommending AstraZeneca after a first shot of Pfizer or Moderna because of safety concerns and limited data on the use of this combination.

4.US