Fernando Simón bets on also giving Pfizer as a second dose of AstraZeneca in people over 60 years of age

Fernando Simón, director of the Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies, has opened the possibility of administering Pfizer as a second dose of AstraZeneca in those over 60 years of age. A possibility that should be taken into account, the epidemiologist has said, if the arrival of the Oxford serum dose is below what is committed.

In his usual press conference on Mondays, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health explained that “in principle” there are doses of AstraZeneca for all those who have received the first dose. However, he recalled that the pharmaceutical company’s deliveries “have been somewhat irregular”, so “we cannot guarantee with certainty that they will arrive on the date”.

This uncertainty regarding the supply of AstraZeneca vaccines has been aggravated by the decision of the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities to give the possibility of being vaccinated voluntarily with a second dose of AstraZeneca among those under 60 years of age who received the first. A group of almost two million people, which is made up mostly of essential professionals and teachers.

It should be remembered, however, that the official recommendation of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System is to inject Pfizer, a clinical trial that studies the suitability of combining vaccines. However, if this group chooses to be vaccinated voluntarily with the Oxford serum, there could be a lack of vaccines for the group aged 60 to 69, who have already received the first dose from AstraZeneca.

“If there is a very large number of people under 60 years of age who want the second dose of AstraZeneca, it will be necessary to assess whether perhaps those over 60 should be offered another vaccine,” said the director of the CCAES. Despite this, he recalled that if the laboratory completes the delivery, “in principle there should be no problem” to cover all those who have received a first puncture of Vaxzevria (trade name of AstraZeneca), whether they are older or younger than 60 years.