Some countries vaccinating with Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine intend to lengthen the interval between the first and second doses to expand the number of vaccinations, BioNTech warned today that there is no data to support the “safety and efficacy” of an interval of more than three weeks.
BioNTech, a German biotech company, said that clinical data from the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine they developed with U.S. drugmaker Pfizer showed 95% protection, based on two doses administered 21 days apart.
BioNTech emphasized, “The safety and efficacy of the different dosing schedules have not been evaluated.”
BioNTech said, “Although the data… confirm that local protection occurs as early as 12 days after the first dose of vaccine is administered; however, there are no data to confirm that the protection generated after the first dose of vaccine is maintained beyond 21 days.”
Faced with a limited supply of Covid-19 vaccine, Denmark said yesterday that it would lengthen the interval between doses of the Pfizer vaccine to a maximum of 6 weeks; the UK said it would lengthen the interval to a maximum of 12 weeks, and Germany is considering lengthening the interval to more than 21 days.
Supporters of delaying the second dose of the vaccine say doing so will allow more of the population to receive the first dose.
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