The British approach to a larger gap between the first and second dose of Covid-19 vaccine has been “confirmed,” World Health Organization Special Envoy David Nabarro said Sunday.
Speaking on Sky News, Nabarro said:
“I think the UK approach, so far at least, has been proven. And yes, I think this is a good lesson for the rest of the world. Thank you, thank you British scientists. ”
“Is it not a miracle that, as a result of the UK’s bravery, it has truly turned out that this extended period of time seems to be associated with greater protection? That’s how we do Covid right now, we’re all learning together, different countries coming to it in different ways, ”he said.
The UK is currently prioritizing the first dose of vaccine, with a second dose up to 12 weeks later, a gap larger than originally planned.
Nabarro explained that WHO advice on intervals between vaccine doses has been “based on what the manufacturers did during the tests known as Phase 3 of the vaccine. Then the WHO and its committees have to act on what manufacturers have told them. “
“That committee meets a lot at the moment because there are a lot of vaccines coming up, and the committee needs to look at vaccines and of course look at the doses again as a result. British studies, ”he said.
The WHO currently recommends that second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines should be delivered up to 4 weeks after the first, and up to six weeks later in “exceptional circumstances”. ” The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is currently being evaluated for emergency use.
However, speaking earlier on NBC’s Meet the Press, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there may not be enough time to study the effectiveness of getting one dose vaccine and that people should stick to what is available. data.
Fauci said: “From a theoretical point of view, it would be good to know if you get just one dose, how long does the duration last and what is the degree of effect … But, what do we have the -currently and what we need to go with the scientific data we have collected and it is very solid. ”
The standard data cited by Fauci states that people should receive an increased dose 21 days after their first Pfizer view and 28 days after the first Moderna shot.