Coronavirus: Vaccination

(asked on 8th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the evidence for the decision to administer the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine 12 weeks after the first dose.


Answered by
Nadhim Zahawi Portrait
Nadhim Zahawi
This question was answered on 18th January 2021

A recent study demonstrated a two-dose vaccine efficacy of 95% for the Pfizer/Biotech COVID-19 vaccine, with a second dose delivered between 19 and 42 days. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has reviewed evidence on the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and advised an interval of up to 12 weeks between doses. The considerations of the JCVI on extended intervals has been published, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prioritising-the-first-covid-19-vaccine-dose-jcvi-statement

Using data available from clinical trials, Public Health England estimated that vaccine efficacy from the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approximately 89%. This is the efficacy calculated 15 to 21 days after the first dose. The estimate for 15 to 28 days is 91% which includes seven days after the second dose, but is prior to the time protection that may be expected from the second dose. There is no estimate of efficacy for a single dose beyond 21 days, but the JCVI’s view is that protective immunity from the first dose likely lasts for a duration of 12 weeks.

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