Recipients of AstraZeneca first jab vulnerable – AMS

Sputnik first jab for those awaiting AstraZeneca second dose recommended

By Rathindra Kuruwita 

 Sri Lanka should use the limited supply of Sputnik-V vaccine in hotspots and for people who had taken the  first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February and March,  Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando said yesterday.

 Dr. Fernando said that a large number of people who had taken the AstraZeneca vaccine in February needed to be given booster doses.

“The WHO says that the first jab of AstraZeneca is effective against the first strain of SARS-COV-2 until six months but what about the variants of concern? So, soon those who took the first jab of AstraZeneca will be vulnerable again,” he said. 

Dr. Fernando said that Sputnik-V was a better choice for those who had taken the first dose of AstraZeneca. 

 “Theoretically, if those who have taken the first dose of AstraZeneca are to receive a second jab of Sputnik V, they should take the first Sputnik V vaccine with adenovirus 26 (Ad26). We must immediately start a small trial to see if the combination works. We should be able to see results in a week or so,” he said. Commenting on using Sputnik-V in Kandy as a first dose, Dr. Fernando said that the decision may have been taken to make politicians happy. 

 “If we are getting millions of Sputnik-V doses, but given that this is a limited resource, we must use it carefully,” he said.

 AMS President added that Sinopharm would be the main vaccine used in Sri Lanka and that after two doses it would provide robust protection against COVID19. “We are getting enough Sinopharm vaccine doses. We must think about the 600,000 people who took only the first.”