US study shows mixing and matching of Covid vaccine booster shots gives good results

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Every combination of mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccine booster shots increased immune response without safety concerns, according to preliminary data from a US National Institutes of Health study released on Wednesday.</p>
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The mix-and-match method seemed to give the biggest boost to single-shot Johnson & Johnson recipients who get their second dose from Moderna or Pfizer.</p>
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The study aimed at looking into the possibility of "mixing" vaccines which is not allowed in the country at present.</p>
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The study was conducted on 458 adults who had been vaccinated with one of three US-approved brands (Pfizer, Moderna or J&J) for at least 12 weeks.</p>
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Researchers then analyzed antibody levels 15 days after the booster shot.</p>
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For people originally inoculated with J&J, antibody levels were four times higher after a J&J booster, 35 times higher after a Pfizer booster and 76 times higher after a Moderna booster.</p>
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However, the study has its limitations as it covered only a small number of participants, and the immune response was only for 15 days during the study. This would have to be studied over a longer period of time.</p>
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 "It is important not to get too carried away with the findings," tweeted Peter Hotez, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine.</p>
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Results from trials on a second J&J booster shot conducted by the company itself were "impressive," he added.</p>
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The NIH study is expected to be kept in mind by a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expert committee, which is scheduled to consider applications for a booster dose from Moderna and J&J this week.</p>
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A booster from Pfizer has already been approved in the United States for people aged 65 or older, adults with high-risk medical conditions and those in jobs where they are frequently exposed to the coronavirus.</p>