The combination of anti-Covid vaccines would increase immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
- Compared to the British vaccine, the increase in immunity is 60%.
- Immunity would be up to three times greater than in the case of two injections of Pfizer.
- Israeli researchers are working on making a vaccine in pill form.
Starting with a first injection of AstraZeneca and ending with a dose of Pfizer would be more effective than receiving the same vaccine twice. Through two studies published in the scientific journal NatureBritish and German researchers claim that mixing the vaccines increases immunity against the coronavirus.
More varied antibodies
Alternating vaccines between the two injections improves protection. In a first study, published on July 26, researchers at the University of Oxford compared the protection conferred by two injections of AstraZeneca or Pfizer and that resulting from a combination of the two products. In both cases, the mixture led to stronger immunity in patients. Compared to the British vaccine, the increase in immunity is 60% and this would be up to three times greater than in the event of two injections of Pfizer. In both cases, the antibodies would also be more varied.
In the second study, also published on July 26, German scientists from the Department of Transplantation and Infection Immunology at Saarland University confirmed these results. They add that this vaccine mix strategy does not lead to more side effects. These still cause a little more fever, on average, than when the vaccination schedule is completed with two injections of Pfizer.
A hypothesis for a possible third dose
These results support the current vaccination strategy for those under 55 who received a first dose of AstraZeneca and a second with a messenger RNA vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna. This result is not a surprise for Professor Jean-Daniel Lelièvre, from the infectious diseases department of the Henri-Mondor Hospital in Créteil. Asked by France Inter, he recalls that this technique has been used for a long time in research on the anti-HIV vaccine. “AT in the longer term, in the event that we do a third dose, it could be interesting to use a different vaccine“, he says.
Towards a vaccine in pill form?
Another solution could be the arrival of a vaccine in pill form. Clinical trials have started in Israel for the development of this oral protection, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Led by biotech Oravax Medical, they will carry out of 24 unvaccinated volunteers. Half of the participants will receive one dose, the other half two. This will allow the safety of the vaccine to be tested and the level of antibodies to be measured.
“If we can vaccinate people with a simple pill, it will be a revolution for the whole world”, assures Nadav Kidron, director of Oramed Pharmaceuticals who co-founded Biotech. Easier to store, it reduces vaccination logistics and would allow the mobilization of a reduced number of medical personnel. Also, an oral vaccine usually causes fewer side effects than injections. “Our vaccine should be much better to respond to future mutations of the virusadds Nadav Kidron. If a variant manages to bypass the first line of defense, there will be a second and then a third.”
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