They have all met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. There are several different COVID-19 vaccines in use in the UK. an additional primary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.a 1st and 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.You may be able to get different doses of the COVID-19 vaccine depending on your age and if you're at increased risk from COVID-19. It gives you the best protection against COVID-19. In this context it’s important everyone who can get vaccinated does, and as soon as possible.COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective. In saying that, as we’ve seen from Victoria’s recent lockdown and new cases in Sydney this week, COVID transmission is still smouldering in Australia and we must not let our guard down yet. Community outbreaks are relatively contained, so the risk in between doses is not as high as it is during periods of rampant transmission. However, this risk must be weighed against the risk of contracting COVID in Australia currently. Preliminary data suggests one Pfizer dose provides only 33% protection against the Delta variant, while two doses confers 88% protection. One dose does provide some protection from severe COVID, but not enough, which means you can still become infected and transmit the virus to others. Delaying the second dose increases the time it takes for you to achieve a high level of immunity, and therefore increases your susceptibility to infection, and risk of COVID. The time it takes to get there is also important. We must remember the level of protection isn’t the only consideration. The levels of antibodies in people who waited 12 weeks for their second dose were 3.5 times higher than those whose gap was three weeks. One pre-print study, yet to be peer reviewed, suggests waiting 11-12 weeks for the second Pfizer dose actually produces an even more potent antibody response in people over 80. Many vaccines confer improved protection with longer gaps between doses, and preliminary data suggests this seems to be the case with Pfizer too. You’re not fully protected against COVID until about seven to 14 days after the second Pfizer dose. The memory response is also faster, so by two weeks after the second jab, protection has significantly increased. The secondary immune response is faster and bigger because you have a pool of memory immune cells primed and ready to jump into action. How long do COVID vaccines take to start working? If that exposure is via a second immunisation, this will boost the immune response to the vaccine and increase immune memory, which in turn enhances protection against the virus. This means these virus-recognising cells are on hand to rapidly respond if we are exposed again. This involves immune cells called T and B cells working together to produce antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and are able to block infection.Īt this stage, some of these become “memory” immune cells, and by about the third week they have established immune memory. This makes sense based on what immunology experts understand about our immune response to vaccines.īy about two weeks after vaccination, adaptive immunity has kicked in. This is the minimum time, but waiting longer between the first and second jab is absolutely fine in terms of efficacy. The minimum time to establish immune memory following first exposure to a new vaccine is roughly three weeks. However it says this gap can be extended to up to six weeks. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends a minimum of three weeks between the first and second Pfizer dose. So the improved immunity conferred from waiting longer must be weighed against the risk of contracting COVID in the meantime. The only downside is you’re at risk from the virus the longer you wait for your second dose. In fact, some preliminary evidence suggests you might get even stronger immunity with a longer wait time. The good news is, you can wait up to 12 weeks between your first and second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. What are the side effects of the Pfizer vaccine? An expert explains This will place even more pressure on our currently limited supply of Pfizer vaccine, and could lead to wait times being longer than three weeks for some. Previously, it was only recommended for people below 50. Some people are wondering if it’s OK to get their second Pfizer shot beyond the recommended three week gap between their first and second dose.Īnd yesterday, the federal government recommended the Pfizer vaccine as the preferred vaccine for people under 60. Some Victorians who’ve had their first Pfizer dose already will need to wait six weeks to get their second. Bookings for the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine have been halted in Victoria this week, amid shortages of the vaccine.
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