Vaccination against Covid-19, in which the AstraZeneca vaccine is given as the first dose and the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine as the second dose, increases the levels of neutralizing antibodies sixfold compared to two doses of AstraZeneca, according to a South Korean study from Reuters.
The study involved 499 health workers – 100 who received mixed doses, 200 received two doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, and the rest received two doses of AstraZeneca.
All participants in the study showed the presence of neutralizing antibodies that prevent the coronavirus from entering the cells and replicating, and the result of the mixed vaccination schedule showed similar amounts of neutralizing antibodies found in the group vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer. / BioNtech.
A British study last month showed similar results – a first dose of AstraZeneca followed by a second Pfizer gave the best T-cell response and a higher antibody response than a first dose of Pfizer followed by a second of AstraZeneca.
Data from both studies provide further support for the decision of several countries to offer alternatives to AstraZeneca as a second immunization dose, after the British-Swedish vaccine was associated with rare cases of blood clots.
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