A rare but serious clotting disorder has been linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.Credit:AP
This a change from previous clinical guidance urging people to wait up to 12 weeks for their second dose of AstraZeneca.
“In outbreak settings,such as that currently occurring in Sydney,the benefits of vaccination are greater,” the advisory group said in a statement.
“Shortening the gap between first and second doses will bring forward short-term protection,which is expected to be beneficial in outbreak situations.
“On this basis,an interval of between four and eight weeks between the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca is preferred in an outbreak situation.
“In non-outbreak settings,the preferred interval between doses of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca remains at 12 weeks.”
On July 7,some Australian scientists expressed caution about reducing the interval between vaccine doses,warning it could slightly reduce the overall efficacy of the vaccine,which has shown in all the clinical trials to have maximum protection when the two doses were separated by 12 weeks.