A British clinical trial recently found that there is no sign of danger in getting both a flu shot and the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. The study supports the advice of the health authorities in the United States as vaccination is being pushed in anticipation of the flu season.
The Study
The study, led by the University of Bristol, involved 679 people from April to June across Britain. The sample population already received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech. Half were given a flu shot when the sample population returned for a second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, and the other half a placebo. The researchers then monitored the side effects from there.
A British clinical trial found no sign of danger in getting a flu shot and a second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at the same time. The results are welcome news for strained health care workers as flu season hits. https://t.co/O7AwZvByLI
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 1, 2021
The Results
The authors of the study shared, “There are no safety concerns raised in this trial.” Aside from checking the side effects, the researchers also collected blood to measure antibodies against COVID-19. Although they found a lower level of antibodies from a specific vaccine brand, the researchers said they did not suspect that any combination of flu and a COVID-19 vaccine would result in lower effectiveness than when given individually.
Chief investigator Rajeka Lazarus noted, “This is a really positive step which could mean fewer appointments for those who require both vaccines. The results of this study have been presented to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for their consideration. They will aid policymakers in planning the future of these important vaccination programs.”
Ninety-seven percent of the participants also said they would be willing to have the two vaccines at the same appointment in the future.
