New research reveals the optimal vaccine combination for the greatest efficiency and protection against the coronavirus.
The vaccination strategy requiring the mixing of two different vaccines appears to be the most useful approach of coronavirus protection.
When opposed to using the same vaccination for all three doses, administering a different type of vaccine at the third or “booster” shot than the prior two doses results in greater vaccine performance.
The findings of a study conducted by two Chilean universities (Universidad del Desarrollo and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), which incorporated elements of Chile’s national vaccination program and will be presented at this year’s European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, are as follows.
The findings of the study were published in Lancet Global Health.
Vaccines differ from one other
The study evaluated the effectiveness of the booster dose of three vaccines: Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. The study participants had completed their vaccination with two doses of the Sinovac vaccine (known as CoronaVac). This particular vaccine was given in Chile and is equal to half the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine given worldwide.
The subjects were vaccinated from February 2, 2021, until November 10 of the same year, while the study did not include individuals with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection before February 2.
In total, data were used from nearly 4 million vaccinated people who had been vaccinated with CoronaVac (2 doses) and received a booster dose during the study. 46.5% of them received a booster dose with the AstraZeneca vaccine, 48.9% with the Pfizer vaccine and 4.5% with the CoronaVac vaccine.
Using statistical modeling as a tool to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness in protecting against symptomatic disease, the researchers found that booster doses provided protection:
- 79% with CoronaVac
- 97% with Pfizer
- 93% with AstraZeneca
In terms of preventing COVID-19 infection-related hospitalization, ICU admission, and death, the effectiveness was as follows:
- 86%, 92% and 87% for the booster dose with CoronaVac,
- 96%, 96% and 97% with Pfizer-BioNTech
- 98%, 99% and 98% with AstraZeneca.
According to the researchers, booster doses of vaccines are crucial for the body’s immunity, as they offer adequate protection, especially when both doses have been given with an inactivated virus vaccine such as CoronaVac. They even note that this is one of the first studies examining the effectiveness of booster doses of such technology.
Previous research has yielded similar results. A study in Brazil showed adequate efficacy both with the same vaccine for the third dose and with a different vaccine. Similarly, a study in the United States found that combining two different vaccines provided an average better immune response.
Finally, related studies on vaccine combination have shown that administering a third dose of mRNA vaccine offers greater protection against the coronavirus.
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