Can the Corona Vaccine be Combined, Here's the Answer

 

Combining the Corona vaccine between the first and second injection is a strategy in many countries. Can it be scientifically justified?

The Hindustan Times as seen on Tuesday (6/7/2021) reported that a number of studies are being conducted to examine the impact of the Corona vaccine combination. The UK, Canada, Italy and the UAE tried this mix and match strategy.

Some high-ranking officials in Europe also set an example. Italian PM Mario Draghi injected with AstraZeneca then Pfizer. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was injected with AstraZeneca and then Moderna.

In the endemic case that has occurred, namely Ebola, scientists have also incorporated a rotavirus vaccine. According to scientists, a combination of vaccines will provide a stronger immune response than a single vaccine alone.

"How this argument applies to cases of COVID needs to be evaluated based on the actual data," Weill Cornell Medicine virologist John Moore said in the New York Times.

Meanwhile, an immunologist from Canada's McMaster University, Zhou Xing, said that combining the Corona vaccine could be a way out in the midst of a vaccine shortage or vaccine supply imbalance in the world.

Specific research related to this Corona vaccine combination was conducted by the University of Oxford in a study entitled Com-CoV. Volunteers gift AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

Meanwhile, the US National Institutes of Health is also testing a combination of Corona vaccines. Russian researchers tested a combination of Sputnik V and AstraZeneca. Meanwhile, Spanish scientists tried the combination of AstraZeneca and Pfizer again. In addition, India tried a combination of Covishield and Covaxin.

Is it safe? Preliminary data from the Oxford Com-CoV study showed the vaccine combination increased the side effects of fever, fatigue and headache. These side effects disappear within 48 hours. However, these side effects can also be a sign of a strong immune response.

Apparently, the world is still in the experimental stage. Hopefully the Corona vaccine combination can be declared medically and scientifically safe, and can be used worldwide.