WHO SHOULD (AND SHOULDN’T) HAVE BOTH JABS TOGETHER

WITH warnings that we’re now facing a ‘twindemic’ of Covid and influenza, ‘it’s vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come forward for vaccines in order to protect themselves and those around them’, says Steve russell, NHS director for vaccinations and screening.

Around 33million people in England (adults over the age of 50 and those who are in ‘at risk’ groups) will be eligible for a free flu jab this autumn; 26 million are eligible for a further Covid booster (the over 50s, frontline care workers, care home residents and patients who are clinically vulnerable).

while the jabs for flu and Covid are separate, many people may be offered both at the same time — but does it make sense to do this if your local health centre offers it? or is it more prudent to have them separately, to avoid a double dose of side-effects?

‘From an immunological point of view, it’s equally safe and effective whether you have both jabs together or separately,’ says Ian Jones, a professor of virology at reading University. This was confirmed by a study of nearly 700 people which was published in the Lancet.

‘There’s no evidence that having both vaccines at the same time decreases the benefit of either,’ says Daniela Ferreira, a professor of vaccinology at the University of oxford.

In the study, roughly half the volunteers, who included pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, had the flu vaccine and the Covid booster at the same time — and the reactions in the double-jabbed group were largely mild or moderate. A small proportion experienced a more severe reaction: 5 per cent in the double-jabbed group compared with 3 per cent in the other groups.

Professor Jones believes that people should have both vaccinations at the same time, if offered, as ‘it’s less work for both vaccine-givers and members of the public’.

Having both jabs at the same time may also mean that discomfort or side-effects are limited to one occasion and one arm (ideally the arm least used), he adds.

But Professor Ferreira suggests that if you’ve previously suffered side-effects, such as soreness, and are having both at the same time, it is worth having one in each arm. Pharmacist Sultan Dajani, who is now administering 600 Covid vaccinations and 200 flu jabs a week near Southampton, goes further.

‘older people and those with compromised immune systems — such as cancer patients — may be more prone to side-effects, such as tiredness for a day or two if they have both jabs at the same time,’ he told Good Health.

‘Although it’s not possible to say you would get double the side-effects with two vaccines at the same time, it will increase your potential for side-effects.’

There are no official guidelines on how long to leave between jabs, but Sultan Dajani believes it’s ‘prudent’ to allow at least a week between the two vaccines.