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Study: Delaying second COVID-19 vaccine doses can help reduce deaths
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Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but only if certain conditions are met, a predictive modelling study showed.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, there is debate over whether to extend the gap between doses to give as many people as possible some protection, or stick to the intervals designated in clinical trials.
For example, Pfizer has said there is no clinical evidence to support Britain’s decision to extend the gap between doses of its vaccine to 12 weeks, but data from the rollout in England shows protection against death of around 80% from one dose, with a 70% decline in infections.
The U.S. study, published in the BMJ British medical journal, used a simulation model based on a “real-world” sample of 100,000 U.S. adults and ran a series of scenarios to forecast potentially infectious interactions under different conditions.
These included varying levels of vaccine efficacy and immunisation rates, and varying assumptions as to whether the vaccine prevents transmission and serious symptoms or only prevents serious symptoms, including death.
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“The results suggest that under specific conditions a decrease in cumulative mortality, infections, and hospital admissions can be achieved when the second vaccine dose is delayed,” wrote the researchers, led by the Thomas C Kingsley of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.