Indian Weekender finds out if it is fine to mix brands of vaccines and a different booster shot, especially for those who got vaccinated overseas
In the past few weeks, if there is something that has made global headlines regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, then it must be the Omicron variant that is spreading quickly across the globe.
As part of the strategy to deal with Omicron, the New Zealand government has asked every eligible person in NZ to get their booster vaccine shot.
But this has created some stress and confusion among those who got their vaccination overseas, which was not Pfizer, and now are told to get a booster shot in NZ where primarily Pfizer dose is available.
Rajpreet Singh, a 39-year-old NZ resident, who got both doses of Covishield (Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine produced in the Serum Institute of India) while he visited India last year. However, now that he is planning to get his booster shot in NZ, he is not sure whether he will be able to get the AstraZeneca booster or will he need to get a Pfizer booster, and if the latter is the case, then will it be ok to have the vaccines mixed up.
“I am quite confused about getting a booster shot. Since I got Covishield, I would prefer the booster of the same as I am not sure if mixing of vaccines is fine,” he says.
Indian Weekender spoke to the Ministry of Health to find out more about this question as also the options available for people who got vaccinated overseas, which is not Pfizer, for their booster shots.
Responding to Indian Weekender’s query, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said, “Pfizer and AstraZeneca are currently the only two Medsafe and Cabinet-approved vaccines available for use in NZ. People coming to NZ can receive their booster dose once eligible, provided they can show proof of their vaccination status through having a valid My Vaccine Pass.
“At this stage, eight approved vaccines can be used as proof of vaccine status when applying for My Vaccine Pass. They are Pfizer/BioNTech, Janssen (Johnson and Johnson), AstraZeneca (Oxford), AstraZeneca/Covishield (Serum Institute of India), Moderna, Sinopharm, Sinovac (CoronaVac), and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech).”
The spokesperson confirmed that if someone wants to get an AstraZeneca booster, they need to have written consent from a health practitioner.
“Pfizer is currently considered the first-line vaccine and first-line booster in NZ. NZ does allow the mixing of vaccines in certain limited circumstances. We continue to monitor international scientific evidence, including the practice of giving doses of different vaccines to the same person. AstraZeneca may be used as an alternative booster dose in specified situations only and if the eligibility criteria in the Programme’s AstraZeneca policy statement are met. A prescription from an authorised prescriber is recommended when using the AstraZeneca vaccine as a booster dose or a second primary dose (i.e., following a non-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for dose 1), in accordance with Section 25 of The Medicines Act 1981, as it is considered off-label use. Written consent is required for all consumers receiving a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
Experts also believe that it is acceptable to have a mixture of vaccines
“It is fine to receive a mixture of vaccine brands; in fact, some combinations can result in better immunity through exposing the immune system to the different formulations. There is no evidence for harm, and we have been using different types of vaccines in this way for many decades, for example, different brands and types of pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines,” says Helen Petousis-Harris, Vaccinologist and University of Auckland associate professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care.
Dr. Nikki Turner, Medical Director of The Immunisation Advisory Centre and Professor (Hon), Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, shares the same sentiment. “There are no safety concerns from having a varied schedule. There is quite a lot of accumulating evidence for the effectiveness of different mixed schedules. So it is fine to mix different brands of vaccines.”
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