GPs say a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is delayed more than three weeks as an ‘unregulated and unlicensed trial’
- Dr Rosie Shire, of the UK Medical Association, raised concerns about Pfizer’s delay
- She called for immunization information to be delivered if doses were given 12 weeks apart
- Matt Hancock defended the decision to delay doses as ‘necessary’ to save more lives
A GP has criticized the government for delaying the interval between doses of the Pfizer Covid vaccine to 12 weeks, referring to the release as an ‘unregulated and unlicensed trial’.
Dr Rosie Shire, a member of the UK Medical Association, has raised concerns that studies on the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine show only two doses three weeks apart to deliver 90 per cent immunity.
She told Sky News: ‘Our concern is that we do not know what will happen if you do not take a second dose of vaccine after three weeks’.
The fact is that people are getting the vaccine now and being put in an unauthorized randomized trial, where they are getting this vaccine with the understanding that they don’t know what it is. going. ‘
The GP said it was ‘very difficult’ to explain to people that they were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine that they would get ‘some protection’ but it was not clear after three weeks what the level was.
She said it was difficult to get ‘informed consent’ from patients when doctors did not have full information to give them.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the Government’s decision to delay the interval between vaccine doses, saying it was ‘essential’ to save more lives, sooner.
‘We know this policy is going to save lives,’ he said, speaking on Sophy Ridge at Sky on Sunday.
‘As long as there is reasonable efficacy after the first dose, and we have a high level of confidence that this is the case, then in a situation where supply is limited … you want so much people to as much protection as possible.
Dr Rosie Shire, of the UK Medical Association, has raised concerns that studies on the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine show only two doses three weeks apart to deliver 90 per cent immunity
‘If you have grandparents who are both in the 70s or 80s it is clear that you would want each of them to have a dose when you know that one dose is effective, rather than one for both full doses and one without protection at all.
Yesterday Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told colleagues in The Guardian report that only a third of people who received injections were protected as ‘total needles’ that could threaten the injection to take.
The newspaper has cited ‘Israeli experts’ but No. 10 vaccine advisers say the figure is true at 89 per cent, starting 14 days after the first injection.
It was reported yesterday that one picture of the Pfizer vaccine had resulted in a ‘massive presence’ of antibodies in 91 per cent of doctors and nurses who received it in Israel within 21 days.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended the Government’s decision to delay the interval between vaccine doses.
The report said Israel’s Covid Commissioner, Professor Nachman Ash, said a single dose of Pfizer appeared ‘lower than we expected’, once cases of asymptomatic diseases were reported. their inclusion, although those who received the second dose had a six- to 12-fold complex increase in antibodies.
Later in the week, the paper reported that Israel’s health ministry had ‘moved to turn back on ideas’ with Professor Ash’s suggestion that single doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine were not as effective. provide protection against the disease and was hoped.
He said the Israeli Ministry of Health said the ‘full protective effect of the vaccine’ was not yet seen.
The Guardian said last night that it described both Professor Ash’s ‘original views’ and those of the Israeli health ministry: ‘The Guardian’s independent readers’ editor has not received any complaints about one article. ‘