Safety and efficacy of using diffrent vaccines as 1st and 2nd dose to be known
(Eagle News) – Some 3,000 participants are targeted for clinical trials set for July that will focus on mixing and matching vaccines for first and second doses to be able to determine if this is safe and effective for Filipinos.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said that the clinical trials will use a total of five vaccines, including four which are already being used in the country – Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Pfizer, and Moderna.
The clinical trial itself will start in July. DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra said that this month, the application for clearance to conduct the clinical trials will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the application for “Ethic Review Board Clearance”
-12 experiments of 250 participants each-
Guevarra said that the participants will be over 18 years old. They will join 12 experiment groups of 250 participants for each group
The participants will be from the A1 to A4 priority groups.
The first five groups will use five combinations of vaccines, all using Sinovac as the first dose:
1. First dose is Sinovac, with a second dose using AstraZeneca;
2. First dose is Sinovac, with a second dose using Sputnik V;
3. First dose is Sinovac, with a second dose using Sputnik V Adeno 5;
4. First dose is Sinovac with a second dose using Pfizer; and finally
5. First dose is Sinovac with a second dose using Moderna.
The next five trial groups would be with the use of SInovac as first and second dose, to be followed by a third dose as booster shot from of these five vaccines — AstraZeneca, Sputnik V adeno 5, Sputnik V adeno 26, Pfizer and Moderna.
These will be compared to two baseline groups. The first group using the Sinovac vaccines as first and second doses; and the second group using AstraZeneca vaccines as first and second doses.
-Immune responses to be studied-
“Tapos malalaman po natin base dito sa mix and match kung saan po iyong tumataas iyong immune response ng ating mga kababayan,” Guevarra explained in a Laging Handa press briefing.
She said these clinical trials are important so they could know if the use of different vaccines as first and second dose would be safe and effective for Filipinos.
“Dalawang bagay po iyong ating masasabing kahalagahan nitong paggagawa nitong mixing and matching ng vaccines. Iyong una po, gusto nating malaman kung puwede ba talagang gawin iyong mixing and matching. Ibig sabihin, iyon po bang efficacy noong ating vaccines eh mag-i-improve ba kapag nag-mix and match ka o pareho lang,” Guevarra said.
“Tapos pangalawa, gusto nating tiyakin ang kaligtasan ng paggawa ng ganitong klaseng mixing and matching kasi po sa ibang bansa tina-try din po nila kaso gusto nating malaman kung sa Filipino ethnicity ay epektibo ba itong ginagawang mixing and matching,” she added.
(Eagle News Service)
