Waiting for a second vaccine? Here’s what you need to know...
MORE than 30 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of the Covid vaccine, and more than three million are fully vaccinated. But as has been widely reported, supply problems are going to affect the rollout, leaving many worried about getting their second jab.
Meanwhile, some people are experiencing problems even booking an appointment. Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn is one of them, as he revealed last week – when he tried to book his second jab online, he was told he had already had it, and then he was told he could only have the second jab 40 miles away.
Here we explain what you need to know about getting your second jab…
Q MY GP surgery called me for my first jab. Should I ring them to get the second dose?
PEOPLE who had their first dose through their GP will be invited (via text or call) to have their second dose through their GP, too. The advice is not to call your GP because of fears about surgeries being inundated and overwhelmed with phone calls. The Government says everyone who has had their first dose will receive their second within 12 weeks, so hold tight.
Q I RECEIVED an appointment letter for my first vaccine, will I receive another one for my second?
A YEs, if you received a postal invitation for your first appointment, you can expect to receive another one. Do be patient, letters may be sent out relatively close to your appointment date.
Q ARE there enough supplies of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines for everyone who’s had their first dose to get their second dose after 12 weeks?
A THE Government’s Vaccine Task Force has announced that there will be a ‘significant reduction’ in vaccine supplies starting this week, triggered by a shortfall of five million AstraZeneca jabs from India. This slowdown is expected to last for four weeks.
However, the Government insists that second doses will not be affected and it is on track to meet its target that everyone will get their second dose within 12 weeks of their first.
Q WILL I have my second dose in the same vaccination centre as my first?
THE scottish Government is A
setting up more local vaccination centres to deal with increasing numbers of people needing their vaccines. You may be asked back to the same centre but you may be sent somewhere more convenient instead. If you’ve had the AstraZeneca vaccine you don’t need to have both vaccines at the same centre. However, this is not the case for the Pfizer jab, due to it needing to be stored at low temperatures, in special fridges – so you will probably receive your second at the same location as the first.
Q CAN I receive my first or second dose vaccination earlier due to personal circumstances?
A IT Is not possible to bring your second dose vaccination forward on request. Everyone will receive their second dose of the vaccine close to or at 12 weeks.
The NHs is unable to book you an appointment in advance for this as the second dose appointment is automatically generated from the booking system 12 weeks from your first dose.
Q I HAVE received my first vaccine in a different health board area but have now moved or am temporarily living in a different health board area. How will I be called for my vaccination?
YOU must register with a GP
A in the new area of residence. If you think you have been missed from the system, please go to the NHs Inform website to rearrange your appointment.
Q IF THE interval between the first and second dose is more than 12 weeks, will the vaccine be less effective?
WE DON’T actually know A
what the ‘optimal interval’ is between doses, because this has not been formally evaluated in a trial, says Dr Chris smith, a consultant virologist and presenter of the Naked scientists at Cambridge
University. ‘For the average person, we’re probably on reasonably firm ground if the booster date drifts a bit,’ he says. ‘The immune system has not evolved with a stopwatch in its hand. It doesn’t stand tapping its foot and counting down the minutes to 12 weeks before declaring, Dragons’ Den style, “I’m out”. Instead, we have evolved to form long-lived immune memories that can be recalled far into the future to protect us from chance reencounters with things we’ve met previously.’
Timing is probably more of an issue among the older age groups, who do not generally generate such a good immune response to vaccines, simply because their bodies are older, he says. Delaying the second dose beyond 12 weeks could leave this age group more exposed.
The good news is that even the first dose seems to provide good protection against the disease, with research published last week by the Universities of sheffield and Oxford showing that one dose of the Pfizer jab generated a ‘robust’ immune response against the virus in 99 per cent of people. Meanwhile, previous research has shown that a 12 week or more gap between AstraZeneca jabs makes it more effective than if the gap is under six weeks).
Q CAN I change to a different vaccine for my second dose?
THE simple answer is no.