FDA to study mixing AstraZeneca, Sputnik V vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Thursday that they need to conduct a study first before the government could proceed to its plan of using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as a second dose for Sputnik V.

Director-General Eric Domingo told Unang Balita that Sputnik V’s first component is called “Sputnik Light,” which can be given as a single dose.

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“Ang alam natin yung first component ng Sputnik ay yun din yung tinatawag na Sputnik Light na baka maaaring single dose lamang [What we know is the first component of Sputnik is what is called Sputnik Light, which could be given in a single dose],” Domingo said.

“So lahat ng ito ay kinakailangang pag-aralan siguro muna bago maghalo ng mga bakuna [So all this must be studied first before we start mixing vaccines],” he added.

The FDA chief said AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines are “very similar.”

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“Sa ngayon ang alam nating puwedeng i-mix and match ay usually yung AstraZeneca plus yung mRNA vaccines, ang AstraZeneca at saka yung [Sputnik] ay very similar vaccines din,” he said.

(What we know so far is we could probably mix and match AstraZeneca with other mRNA vaccines, and AstraZeneca and Sputnik are very similar vaccines.)

FDA to study mixing AstraZeneca, Sputnik V vaccines

Earlier, the country’s vaccine expert panel recommended the vaccination of AstraZeneca vaccines to those who should have been injected with the 2nd dose of Sputnik V vaccines in the face of the delay in the arrival of its supply.

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“Kasi pareho sila ng  vector at parehong adeno-26 ang ginagamit nila. Nagkaroon kami ng meeting kahapon ng vaccine experts… Sabi nila once ang supplier ay hindi nakapagbigay ng binigay na grace period for spacing, we can already give AstraZeneca,” said vaccine czar  Jr.

The Department of Health has ensured that it is safe because the technology platform used for Sputnik V and AstraZeneca vaccines is the same.

Based on the latest data, about 350,000 -19 vaccines of Sputnik V of the Gamaleya Institute of Russia have arrived.

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