Some countries have allowed the COVID vaccine to be replaced with a second dose, and a number of medical studies are underway.

A government spokesperson said on Tuesday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for the second time after receiving the first dose of AstraZeneca.

The 66-year-old received the first dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in April. More than two weeks ago, German authorities recommended that this vaccine be used only for people 60 years and older.

Millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been vaccinated safely in Europe, but concerns about rare blood clots in a very small number of recipients linger, which means some of the early priority groups due to age or previous health conditions Human conditions have been delaying access to it, preferring to wait for another vaccine.

Dozens of countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March, or restricted it to the elderly. However, several of them– Including Germany -After the health regulatory agency stated that the benefits of the injection outweigh any risks, the use has been fully or restrictedly resumed.

In April, Germany recommended that people who received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine should receive a different vaccine in the second dose. Several other European countries have made similar decisions.

After a difficult start, vaccination work in Germany has accelerated dramatically in recent weeks. As of Tuesday, one-half, or 51.2% of the population had received the first dose of vaccine.

Mixed vaccine

Some experts believe that switching the COVID vaccine to a second dose can enhance immunity, and a number of medical studies are ongoing.

A small study in the United Kingdom on the use of different COVID vaccines in two doses found that people who received one dose of AstraZeneca (and vice versa) after receiving Pfizer vaccine were more likely to report mild or moderately common post-vaccination symptoms. Instead of vaccinating the same type of dose twice.

Novavax, which is developing a coronavirus vaccine, said on May 21 that it will participate in a mixed and matched COVID-19 vaccine trial to test the use of additional vaccine doses from different manufacturers as a booster. The trial will begin in the UK in June.

At the same time, Canada, facing a shortage of supplies, suggested that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be used interchangeably.

The Canadian National Observer said that the Canadian government said on Monday that Pfizer’s weekly shipments of 2.4 million doses were delayed, causing provinces to change Pfizer’s appointment to Moderna, and urged people not to cancel their injections. Report.

Officials in Ontario have notified residents that they may be vaccinated with different mRNA vaccines-Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna’s advanced technology for injection.

“We hope you will be fully protected as soon as possible,” the national observer quoted doctor David Williams as saying.

“The mixed vaccine is safe,” he said.

Officials in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec have urged citizens and residents to do the same.

The governor of Quebec, Francois Legault, said on Monday: “Our public health department said that you can have the same or mixed ones, and the advantages are much higher than the very small risks.”