EU Regulator Weighing Mix-And-Match, Boosters For COVID-19 Shots

European Medical Agency (EMA) made no definitive recommendations on mixing schedules of COVID-19 vaccines with doses from different manufacturers, saying it was too early to confirm if and when an additional booster shot would be required.
However, EMA did say both doses of two-shot vaccines from Pfizer Inc PFE - BioNTech SE BNTX, AstraZeneca plc AZN, and Moderna Inc MRNA would play an essential role in protecting against the Delta variant.
To tackle increasing infections and vaccine shortages, the U.K and the U.S. have initiated trials to assess mix-match of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
An Oxford study last month found that a mixed schedule of vaccines where a shot of Pfizer's vaccine is given four weeks after an AstraZeneca shot will produce better immune responses than providing another dose of AstraZeneca.
In June, US NIH started an early-stage trial to evaluate what happens when a fully vaccinated adult with one type of COVID-19 vaccine is boosted with a different shot about three to four months later.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has estimated that the Delta variant will account for 90% of strains in circulation in the European Union by the end of August.
EMA has also been actively monitoring rare but severe side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. On Wednesday, it disclosed it had assessed nine cases of immune thrombocytopenia (IT) following vaccination with Moderna's shot.
It said no "clear causal relationship" could be established between the two, and EMA would continue to monitor cases.
Price Action: PFE shares are up 0.7% at $39.94, MRNA stock is +5% at $246.92, BNTX shares are up 2.1% at $212.18, while AZN stock is down 1.2% at $59.90 during the market session on the last check Wednesday.
Photo by Frauke Riether from Pixabay

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