Saudi Arabia ensures safety of mixing COVID-19 vaccines

RIYADH: Spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health (MoH), Dr. Mohamed Al-Abdali, on Wednesday underlined that mixing doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines from different brands that approved in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are safe.

According to SPA, the Ministry of Health spokesman highlighted that mixing vaccines is a procedure authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and in many countries of the world.

Dr. Al-Abdali said in a tweet on Twitter: “Incorrect interpretations are being circulated in the media about what was issued by the World Health Organization about mixing vaccines, and we confirm the safety of mixing the vaccines approved in the Kingdom, based on international research and specialized scientific committees, as this procedure is authorized by the World Health Organization and a number of world’s countries.

The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on vaccines said in June the Pfizer vaccine could be used as a second dose after an initial dose of AstraZeneca, if the latter is not available.

A clinical trial led by the University of Oxford in the UK is ongoing to investigate mixing the regimen of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines. The trial was recently expanded to include the Moderna and Novavax.