Mixing Covid-19 vaccines is "safe and effective", says Saudi Ministry

Saudi Arabia's health ministry said that mixing Covid-19 vaccines is both safe and effective. However, the brands have to be approved in the Kingdom.

The health ministry reiterated that getting the first shot from one brand and a second from another gives stronger immune response and longer-lasting protection. Covid-19 vaccines approved in Saudi Arabia include Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sinovac, and Sinopharm, reported Arab News.

A study held at Oxford University had a similar result. The findings suggested that mixing some vaccines worked well for priming the immune system against the coronavirus. The researchers compared those who took two shots of Pfizer-BioNTech, those with two shots of AstraZeneca, and those given a mix of both.

Several nations, including the UK, Germany, and Canada, allow vaccines to be mixed.