Reducing the gap between the first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the vaccine, a senior health official has underlined.

“The clinical research is clear that maximum protection against COVID-19 is achieved when a gap of 21 days, for Pfizer-BioNTech, and 28 days, for Moderna, is maintained between the first and second doses,” Dr Soha Al Bayat, Head of Vaccination at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) stated.

This was communicated by MoPH on its Twitter page.

Dr Al Bayat further said that the latest research does not show any negative impact on vaccine efficacy if the gap is slightly extended by 2-3 weeks.

Reducing gap between first and second vaccine doses may negatively impact vaccine efficacy, says Head of Vaccination at MOPH Dr. Soha Al Bayat pic.twitter.com/LqkokIq6sh

— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) June 15, 2021

“However, significant reduction of the number of days between the two doses may result in the vaccine offering lower protection,” she said.

“It is understandable that many people are eager to get their second dose and become fully vaccinated as quickly as possible, but I encourage people to be patient and wait to have the second dose at the optimal time for their own wellbeing and to benefit properly from the vaccine,” she added.

Recently, a study conducted by investigators from Qatar’s healthcare system and research institutes confirmed previous findings regarding the effectiveness of full vaccination and prior infection in preventing COVID-19.

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Cover Image Credit: Hukoomi

Source: MoPH