AstraZeneca vaccine: delaying the second dose increases protection, according to new data

By Paul Hunter, Professor of Medicine, University of East Anglia

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is effective at preventing people from developing COVID-19 and could reduce viral transmission, according to a new scientific paper from the team behind the vaccine.

The paper also suggests that delaying the second dose to 12 weeks after the first works especially well. The protective effect of the first dose doesn’t appear to wane during these 12 weeks, and leaving a longer gap between doses ultimately seems to make the second more protective.

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