Pfizer vaccine second dose will now be administered after 6 weeks

Recipients of the two-dose Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine have been notified via SMS of their second dose, which is expected to be administered in six weeks’ time.

The 42-day wait comes after government hinted at adopting a policy to let recipients wait longer than the initially recommended two weeks to take the second dose.

This after a UK study showed that waiting as long as three weeks could have benefits that make the vaccine even more effective.

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Phase two of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in South Africa has seen mainly over 60s being vaccinated, with the Pfizer vaccine making up most of the in-take.

Registered  recipients have been told they will receive an SMS with a new date for their Pfizer vaccine appointment.

“Do not return for your second dose before 42 days from your first dose, as you will not be vaccinated until the 42-day period is over,” Wednesday’s SMS read.

Over one million people have been vaccinated since the start of the national Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. At just one vaccination site at Discovery Health’s headquarters in Johannesburg last week, over 11,000 people received the Pfizer vaccine.

In May, the national Department of Health issued a circular regarding research into the Pfizer vaccine, with recommendations on how the doses should be administered.

“The Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Vaccines [VMAC] has considered the currently available vaccines based on available data on their safety, efficacy and immunogenicity, ease of use, logistic implications, supply and sustainability, cost, as well as registration with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority [Sahpra], for use in the citizens of South Africa,” the circular reads.

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The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech consists of a two-dose regimen, of which a 21-day dosing interval between the first and second dose has been shown to be efficacious in phase three clinical trials.

But emerging evidence supports a 42-day interval between the first and second doses. The VMAC has reviewed the available evidence in this regard and have advised that, in the event of limited vaccine supply, the dosing interval should be extended to 42 days, the department noted.

“It is recommended that, based on the above considerations, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine should be administered using the 42-day dosing interval between the first and second doses.”

Pfizer may be running out

After concerns of a looming vaccine shortage were voiced by Discovery last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed those fears by telling the nation on Sunday that the release of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine has been delayed.

This is due to an investigation into one of the active ingredients in the vaccine doses produced at the factory, which Ramaphosa referred to as “regulatory oversight”.

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