• Set to be used as AstraZeneca 2nd dose

• Relevant guidelines within two days: Health Ministry

• 78,000 more doses in July, 5 m before year-end

• Stored at Blood Bank fridges

By Pamodi Waravita

  The mixing of Covid-19 vaccines is set to commence in Sri Lanka soon following yesterday’s (5) arrival of a batch of 26,000 Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine doses, which will likely be used as the second dose for those who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine as their first dose, The Morning learnt. Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena would be releasing the guidelines regarding the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine doses within the next two days, according to Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General, and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath. “Based on expert advice, the Ministry of Health is looking at administering the Pfizer vaccine as a second dose for those who received AstraZeneca as their first dose,” Dr. Herath told The Morning yesterday (5). He said that experts have stated that it is possible to mix the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine with a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine for effective immunisation against Covid-19. State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana announced last month that the National Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (NACCD) of the Ministry of Health had granted approval for the use of Pfizer as the second dose for those who received AstraZeneca as their first dose. University of Sri Jayewardenepura Medical Faculty Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department Professor in Microbiology Neelika Malavige said last month that research of the mix-and-match trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines conducted overseas, have shown positive results. The World Health Organisation (WHO) too has approved an AstraZeneca first dose followed by a Pfizer vaccine as a second dose following preliminary studies in Spain, the UK, and Germany and evidence coming from real-life scenarios in India. “But so far it is only with an AstraZeneca first dose followed by a Pfizer vaccine as a second dose that we know for sure that this can be done without any problems in the sense of efficacy,” said WHO Chair of Strategic Management Alejandro Cravioto, when asked about vaccine mixing at an online Q&A session in June. In fact, new UK research suggests that taking the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by Pfizer, results in a striking increase in antibodies against Covid-19 compared to using the AstraZeneca vaccine for both doses or Pfizer followed by AstraZeneca. The results come from the University of Oxford-led Com-COV study, which is exploring the use of different combinations of approved Covid-19 vaccines. However, these early findings have not yet been peer reviewed. According to reports from the Epidemiology Unit, approximately 541,195 people are still awaiting their second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine. “We will also be receiving two more consignments of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines this month. Each will consist of 26,000 doses, so in total, we will have 78,000 doses of it in the country this month,” added Dr. Herath. Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals State Ministry Secretary Dr. Saman Rathnayake told The Morning yesterday that Sri Lanka has ordered five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is expected to arrive in batches throughout the year. “The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine needs to be stored in minus 70 degrees Celsius. A total of 21 out of the 45 fridges with those facilities, belonging to the National Blood Transfusion Service/Blood Bank, have been allocated to store the vaccines. Each can store a maximum of 100,000 doses of the vaccine,” Dr. Rathnayake added. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in the country on 7 May. Reportedly, the five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would be funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).