Mix and match vaccines for covid-19 boosters; is this effective?

Mix and match vaccines for covid-19 were explored in other western countries that didn’t have the same vaccine access as the USA did. They claimed that the method was highly effective in immunizing the public. Countries such as Great Britain also found that expanding the time between the first and the second dose beyond the trial protocols due to supply constraints was highly effective too.

There have been a number of articles and studies showing the mix and match approach to covid-19 vaccines is effective and may even be superior to the initial one or two-dose regimens with one brand according to industry experts.

Also, the growing use of a booster has shown certain combinations to be more effective than others for boosting immune response. The FDA has now approved the mix and match approach for booster shots according to the NY Times.

The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine appeared to be more effective months later when compared to the other widely available shots in the US.  It would be reasonable that perhaps this might be the most effective booster which is confirmed by recent data.  According to the NY Times, the people injected with the Moderna booster saw their antibody levels rise 76-fold in 15 days, compared with only a fourfold increase after an extra dose of Johnson & Johnson. If you follow the science, this is the more effective booster. The Moderna and J and J boosters just received FDA approval on 10/20/2021.

Do you even need a booster if you already had covid-19 and were also vaccinated?  The truth is nobody knows how long the immunity lasts but those who had also contracted covid-19 had far more resistance to covid-19 delta variant than those who were just vaccinated.

The next move from big pharma is to offer vaccinations at smaller dosages to children who are naturally of low risk, although reports had shown that delta variant affected more children than other variants resulting in higher hospitalization rates of 41 percent.   It is possible that to avoid some of the cardiovascular side effects found in children, they may offer only one shot of a much smaller dosage.   The mechanics of this should be revealed shortly with the government rollout of these programs.

Find out what the NY Times says about mixing and matching booster shots.

Mix-and-Match Covid Boosters: Why They Just Might Work

The F.D.A. may authorize booster shots of vaccines different from the ones that Americans originally received. The science behind the move is promising.

By Carl Zimmer Published Oct. 19, 2021

The Food and Drug Administration seems likely to allow Americans to switch vaccines when choosing a Covid-19 booster shot. That authorization, which could come this week, is the latest development in a long-running debate over whether a mix-and-match strategy helps protect people from the coronavirus.

Here are answers to some common questions about mixing and matching booster shots.

How is mix-and-match different?
Immunizations typically consist of two or more doses of the same vaccine. The Moderna vaccine, for example, is administered in two identical shots of mRNA, separated by four weeks.

A double dose can create much more protection against a disease than a single shot. The first dose causes the immune system’s B cells to make antibodies against a pathogen. Other immune cells, called T cells, develop the ability to recognize and kill infected cells.

The second shot amplifies that response. The B cells and T cells dedicated to fighting the virus multiply into much bigger numbers. They also develop more potent attackers against the enemy.

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