Because now the second dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine is recommended in Italy after 12 weeks
The latest circular from the Ministry of Health sets the timing for the recall of the Oxford / Astrazeneca vaccine against Covid-19 12 weeks later, banning combinations between different products
(photo: torstensimon from Pixabay) The campaign vaccinal against Covid-19 always proceeds with an eye to new information arriving from the scientific world, to adjust the shot in progress. And in fact, in light of the latest results from the phase 3 studies, the experts of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa) recommend that the vaccine booster from Oxford and AstraZeneca be carried out 12 weeks after the first administration, or in any case not before the tenth week. Thus the effectiveness, that is the protection conferred, should exceed 80%. However, combinations of different vaccines are prohibited. The new provisions are contained in the circular of the Ministry of Health of 9 February.The recall
Ema's ok for the emergency use of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine provided for a wide interval between the first and second dose between 28 and 84 days. "However - reads the AIFA website - new data collected from ongoing studies seem to offer the opportunity to indicate a longer interval between the first and second dose. In particular, the new data, published in February 2021 in preprint in the Lancet journal, indicate an efficacy of 82% when the second dose is administered during the twelfth week ".The timing for the recall, therefore , shifts between the tenth (63 days) and the twelfth week (78-84 days).
The new provisions of AIFA in agreement with the Higher Health Council are ratified in the latest circular of the Ministry of Health (Update of available vaccines against Sars-Cov-2 / Covid-19). The document states that "the data currently available indicate that already after 4 weeks after the first dose a level of effective protection is reached which is maintained up to the 12th week and that, as regards the effect of the second dose, this appears more consistent the closer you get to 12 / a week ".
Fidelity to the vaccine
Since there is no data on the matter, the experts also recommend to remain faithful to the same vaccine, ie not to interchange the Oxford and AstraZeneca product with other vaccines to complete the course: "Subjects who received the first dose of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca must receive the second dose of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca to complete the vaccination course".Between 18 and 55 years
In the circular the first opinion of Aifa reappears after approval in Italy: "the vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 to 55 (54 years and 364 days) in a without pathologies that increase the clinical risk associated with Ssars-Cov-2 infection ".Priority for administration" for teaching and non-teaching school and university staff, for the Armed Forces and Police, for at-risk settings such as prisons and community places and for staff of other essential services and, subsequently, for the rest of the population ".
