Safe to give Covid and flu vaccines together
IT is safe for people to receive a flu vaccine at the same time as a Covid-19 jab, research which involved patients in the Westcountry has found.
The study, carried out by research teams in Devon and Cornwall alongside other sites, found that the immune responses to both the influenza and Covid-19 vaccine were preserved when given together in opposite arms, with the most common side effects being pain around the injection site and fatigue.
Scientists have hailed the findings as a step forward in the battle against the Covid pandemic heading into winter.
Dr David Tucker, consultant haematologist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and principal investigator for the Combining Influenza and Covid-19 Vaccination (ComFluCOV) study locally, said: “This study has shown that it is safe and effective to give both the Covid-19 and common flu vaccines at the same time. It has answered a really important scientific question and involved a wide range of people using a variety of Covid vaccines.
“As well as being safe, it also showed that the antibody responses are not affected by giving them together. It will help the NHS protect people from both infections more efficiently over the winter months.”
Dr Nick Jacobsen, primary care research lead for Cornwall for the Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula, and principal investigator for the study at Newquay Health Centre, said: “The results of the ComFluCov study are a fantastic step forward in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. We can now confidently give flu and Covid-19 boosters together improving the quality of care for our patients and population whilst enabling effective and efficient use of NHS resources.”
Dr Rajeka Lazarus, consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at UHBW and chief investigator for the ComFluCOV study, said: “By conducting this study we have been able to establish that it is possible to protect people from both Covid-19 and flu at the same appointment.
“This is a really positive step which could mean fewer appointments for those who require both vaccines, reducing the burden on those who have underlying health conditions and would usually be offered the influenza vaccine.
“The results of this study have been presented to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for their consideration and will aid policy makers in planning the future of these important vaccination programmes.”
The study, led by researchers at the Bristol Trials Centre, University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW), was carried out locally by research teams at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Knowle House Surgery in Plymouth, Newquay Health Centre and the Alverton Practice in Penzance, supported by the Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula. It was funded by the National Institute for Health Research, with the results due to be published in The Lancet. It looked to establish the safety of co-administering the most widely used Covid and flu vaccines.