Can you swap the Covid-19 vaccines between the first and second jab?

More than 45 million first vaccines against Covid-19 have been issued in the country – and of these, 34 million have also received their second vaccine.

The country has been in a race against time to vaccinate after cases started to rise again in late May, leading experts to warn that we are now in the grip of a third wave of pandemic.

And with walk-in vaccination clinics appear regularly, which only deliver one type of vaccine, a number of people have asked whether it would protect them against the virus if they were given one dose of one type of vaccine and a second dose of another.

READ MORE: New coronavirus infections hit over 500 in 24 hours in city and county

LeicestershireLive asked this and a few other questions about Covid-19 vaccines at Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group (LLR CCG). Here’s what they told us:

Can you swap vaccines between the first and second vaccines?

The short answer to the question of whether you can swap vaccines between your first and second dose is no.

Everyone should have the same vaccine for their first and second dose, according to a spokesperson for the CGC.

This is based on official guidelines outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI).

However, an ongoing trial by the Oxford Vaccine Group is investigating the use of different combinations of approved Covid-19 vaccines with the idea of ​​making vaccination deployment more flexible.

Data from the trials suggested that mixed-dose schedules might be effective, but JCVI’s latest guidelines currently remain the same.

The national reservation system is specifically designed to ensure that everyone receives a second vaccine of the same vaccine they received for the first – so that anyone going through normal channels for their vaccine does not have the choice to swap.

But what about pop-up clinics?

Each walk-in clinic, where no appointment is required, offers only one type of vaccine.

And it should still be impossible for someone who has received a dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine to show up to a Pfizer clinic and receive their second vaccine.

This is because the staff will recheck which vaccine you received for the very first dose when you go to an outpatient clinic and will refuse you if your first vaccine was of a different brand than the one given at that clinic.

The NHS will also take steps to make sure the type of vaccine given to you is right for you.

Which vaccine is right for me?

Despite fears that the AstraZeneca vaccine could cause fatal blood clots, as in the tragic case Leicester mom Lucy Taberer, the Department of Health said such cases are incredibly rare.

The DoH said LeicestershireLive there had been 200,000 cases of reactions to the AstraZeneca vaccination had been recorded by Yellow Card as of June 9, but only 390 of them were linked to blood clots and only 71 of the cases were fatal.

According to the GCC, anyone under 40 or pregnant will not “generally be offered appointments for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.”

Indeed, following reports of rare cases of blood clots in some people after receiving the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine (despite a low overall risk), the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization advised in May to this year, that those under 40 should be offered an alternative vaccine.

However, anyone who has already received the first dose of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and had no serious side effects should still be offered the same second dose.

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The JCVI has also advised pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, if applicable.

Side effects have also been reported by people who have received Pfizer and Modern jabs.

If you react badly to a vaccine, you will be referred to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, which provides an allergy service. Depending on the results of various tests, doctors may recommend that you receive an alternative vaccine.

In case you have a severe reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine and you are offered an alternative for your second dose, you will only have one dose of the alternative, which means you will not need restart the two-dose program.

LLR CCG spokesperson said: “You would be offered an alternative vaccine if you had serious side effects at the first dose, such as a severe allergic reaction, or if the first vaccine is no longer available.

“For example, when a person has received a vaccine abroad for their first dose and the vaccine given is not available in the UK.”

Where can I get vaccinated against Covid-19?

Most people will receive an invitation from the National Booking Service for their jab, but other options are also available.

As the end of lockdown restrictions draw closer, local health officials are adding more vaccination opportunities and encouraging people to get bitten.

Here are some of the latest confirmed walk-in clinics. Others are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.