[Closed] Astrazeneca Vaccine - 2nd jab timing.

I had my second jab date when I got my first.

Like you, have recently had texts asking me to book my second early. Booked it yesterday, earliest I could book was 2 days earlier than the original booking. I don't reckon 2 days will make any difference, just happy to get it out the way when I can.

I got my 2nd after 6 weeks, about 6 weeks ago.

Both times I got a text from the GP asking me to book, and didn’t book the second after the first, was told to just wait for a text.
HTH.

I think the original guidelines for second dose was 4 to 12 weeks. So it says here linky

I'll add that I had my second today after 9 weeks.

I'll also add that my local area has as of today seen a spike of the India variant, so I think there is a rush on to get people in early as it looks like it's spreading again.

I didn't get a date for my second jab when I had my first one on March 19th and still hadn't heard about booking it in last weekend but my neighbour runs a vaccination site and had some spares so contacted us and we got ours done on Sunday. I am really surprised that I wasn't given a date for the second vaccination back in March and even more surprised they hadn't contacted me yet.

I am just glad to have them both done (and both showing in my NHS records).

I haven't seen anything like that.

I've got my 2nd on the 6th of June at 4pm, 11 weeks to the minute after my first, which is policy in Wales (not the 'to the minute' thing).

I'm sure there is an optimal period between doses, but it's different for everyone.

Let's also not forget, the original period was 3 weeks, and it was only a fluke (perhaps) we came up with 12 weeks.

As for the effectiveness, I can't get my head around it. There are some that say 60%, some that say 99% I suppose it's a range between not getting it at all, not getting symptoms and not ending up in Hospital. In any case, given the circumstances, I'd be more than happy to have it at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, or anywhere in between.

I am really surprised that I wasn’t given a date for the second vaccination back in March and even more surprised they hadn’t contacted me yet.

I didn't get a 2nd appointment with my first jab, but 8 weeks later I got a txt asking me to book into for my 2nd. Obv running ahead of schedule now as gap is 9 weeks.

I didn’t get a date for my second jab when I had my first one on March 19th and still hadn’t heard about booking it in last weekend but my neighbour runs a vaccination site and had some spares so contacted us and we got ours done on Sunday. I am really surprised that I wasn’t given a date for the second vaccination back in March and even more surprised they hadn’t contacted me yet.

I had my first on the 21st of March, I wasn't given a 2nd date either.

Then a few days ago I had a letter with a return postcode that's usually used by DVLA and expected some sort of fine, but no, it was a date for my 2nd jab, so soon I'll be fully vaccinated, and I've still got a clean license.

I wonder if DVLA are helping out with letters...

Wasnt there something in the papers last week(or the week before) about them wanting to speed up the times between jabs because of the variants 😕

From what I've read, its more effective up to twelve weeks apart, and the minumum is up to 4 weeks apart. Gotta give it time to work I suppose.

My second jab was for the 1st of August, but I managed to bring it forward to the 11th of July, which is 11 weeks I think rather than 14 weeks.

I had a 9 week gap, second one a week ago.

Wasnt there something in the papers last week(or the week before) about them wanting to speed up the times between jabs because of the variants 😕

Yep, you need two doses for decent immunity against the Indian variants.

second guessing the optimal timing of your second AZ jab is just like picking between P/Bio & AZ & Moderna, someone somewhere may be informed enough.... but likely not yet and likely not on STW (ignoring the big hitters on the CV19 thread)

my 2nd is due Friday - that will only be 5 weeks since the first

However, figures from the bmj earlier this year suggest efficacy of 55% if the second jab is after 6 weeks and 81% if after 12 weeks.

Really?

However, figures from the bmj earlier this year suggest efficacy of 55% if the second jab is after 6 weeks and 81% if after 12 weeks.

I saw something recently that suggested those figures were actually based on amount of weeks post 2nd jab rather than based on the gap between 1st and 2nd jab.

Just booked mine online the other day. Booked both at the same time. First one is this Friday, the second one is 11 weeks later. I guess I'll see later on if they try to bring it forward a bit.

I presume that with AZ in particular they're hurrying them up a bit as they're not rolling them out to under 40's due to the increased clotting risk in younger people. So there are more doses/slots at centres available.

Remember that the reason we ended up at 12 weeks was because it was policy to extend it as far as possible and get as many people the first dose as possible.

<p id="p-6">The study found vaccine efficacy reached 82.4% after a second dose in those with a dosing interval of 12 weeks or more (95% confidence interval 62.7% to 91.7%). If the two doses were given less than six weeks apart the efficacy was only 54.9% (CI 32.7% to 69.7%).

</p>

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n326

<p id=”p-6″>The study found vaccine efficacy reached 82.4% after a second dose in those with a dosing interval of 12 weeks or more (95% confidence interval 62.7% to 91.7%). If the two doses were given less than six weeks apart the efficacy was only 54.9% (CI 32.7% to 69.7%).

</p>

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n326/blockquote >

That's interesting. I think I'll leave mine as is then if they ask me to reschedule and bring it forward.

Funnily enough my wife has just text me all chuffed that she's just had a message from the GP to rebook her second jab (which she's done). That would mean her doses are only be 5 weeks apart. I've sent her that link.

 

I've left my 2nd around 12 weeks as it fits in with what I'm doing, and I'd have this week to try and get it as away next week. Jab booked for 7th 8am. Nice 20 mile return bike journey.

That's my thinking. Only in the text inviting me to bring it forward, is also the news that they've cancelled my existing appointment.

Had mine about 11 weeks since first jab. Something on the radio last night said Pfizer seems to be 80% effective (or whatever it is) and Astra was about 55% effective, but I missed the first bit so no idea what it is referencing.

It doesn't guarantee you full protection, just reduces the risk of getting it, so I'd take the second jab whenever it was offered as it will be helping reduce your chances by some anyway.

That’s interesting. I think I’ll leave mine as is then if they ask me to reschedule and bring it forward.

They won’t ask you less than 6 weeks apart.

I bet we will all be having a 3rd dose anyway.

I had my first on the 21st of March, I wasn’t given a 2nd date either

There's a reason for that, but TBH, i can do without stevextc accusing me of all sorts, so just to say, the GP side of the vaccination programme, we know who your are, and when you had a first jab, and when you're due your next jab.

10 weeks on, heard nothing (AZ)...was starting to wonder if they'd forgotten me

They won’t ask you less than 6 weeks apart.

I had my first one about 6 weeks ago and second is due 4th July so that’ll be 11-12 weeks. My wife first one was 2nd May and she’s just be asked to book the 2nd one for 5th June. So that’s a day short of 5 weeks.

I'm leaving mine as the original date booked, but I'm also minimising social contact 'till a few weeks after it. The advice to bring 2nd jabs forward looks to be about two things... the AZ doses are available (so let's get on and use them), and we're opening up (so let's not leave people without extra protection of 2nd dose at a time when we expect infections to rise). The longer gap between doses paired with keeping the virus under control would be the ideal approach... but the decision has been made to reduce gaps in light of other decisions about controlling the virus. There's good logic to it. But I'd rather people had the best protection, and in the meantime we acted to minimise the spread of the virus to give us the time to achieve that.

After my first jab I was asked whether happy to book next one myself. Which I did for 8 weeks later using the very good gov.uk site (whoever did the gov.uk sites did a great job as used for many things and all so simply laid out - car tax, power of attorney, vaccine and so on)

It doesn’t guarantee you full protection, just reduces the risk of getting it, so I’d take the second jab whenever it was offered as it will be helping reduce your chances by some anyway.

But it does also decrease your risk of getting it badly too. Most people only get mild to moderate symptoms and there is a low incidence of hospital admissions among people having had vaccinations by any manufacturer.

Had my first AZ jab March 20th, got a text yesterday asking me to book one of the available time slots for my second jab (which I did, first available one is this Saturday) - only took a minute to sort via the web-site link in the text (my jabs are via my GP surgery so they have my phone number)

I had my first Pfizer on 15th March and the second today, 10 weeks and 1 day later. I have no idea what that does to the efficacy of the vaccine, but like wzzzz I think it's inevitable that we'll have at least one more dose.

Got my first AZ on 8th March and was given a date of 27th May for the second. I haven't had any 'please book earlier' texts, so I'll go on Thursday. 11 weeks and 3 days between. I did have a text this Monday asking me to hurry up and book my first jab if I haven't done so already.

My wife first one was 2nd May and she’s just be asked to book the 2nd one for 5th June. So that’s a day short of 5 weeks.

Ok. Some might be. 😀

I bet we will all be having a 3rd dose anyway.

They’ve said from the start annual top doses are likely.

I bet we will all be having a 3rd dose anyway.

It wouldn't supprise me, the current vaccine prog is very much a damage limitation excersise.

I bet we will all be having a 3rd dose anyway.

Large scale trials already underway in the UK.

But it does also decrease your risk of getting it badly too. Most people only get mild to moderate symptoms and there is a low incidence of hospital admissions among people having had vaccinations by any manufacturer.

I think this is why the stats vary so much.

I'm no expert of course, but tying to get my head around it.

These are made up numbers for the purpose of the post, don't quote me:

1 dose of AZ might give you 40% protection against Covid, and even the scary sounding double-mutant Indian variant, but it might be 80% effective against serious symptoms and reduce the time of the infection from weeks, to days, but it's 99% effective at keeping you out of hospital or dying. Which of course will vary from person to person.

So, 40% of people won't get it, so they can't pass it on, another 40% will just have a mild 'cold like' illness, another 19% will get really sick, more like 'real flu' and 1% will end up in hospital and/or die.

How do you quantify it's effectiveness with a single figure, is it 40%, 80% or 99%?

If you're concerned with stopping the spread, it's 40%, if you concerned with stopping the NHS being overwhelmed and of course Humanity it's 99%.

The 2nd dose improves those figures, plus importantly prolongs it's effectiveness. Again, it's only my guess from spending too much time reading the news like everyone else, but from what I can see, it doesn't wear off as such, or at least if it does, it's going to be out-paced as the virus evolves.

If I've got the wrong end of the stick, please someone let me know.

I bet we will all be having a 3rd dose anyway.

This I do know a little bit more about, the Wife works in a mass vaccination centre.

They are setting up for the long haul, more staff are being recruited for full-time, permanent jobs there are already plans to shift Flu and other vaccine work from GPs to the centres, even giving the Flu at the same time as an annual Covid jab.

It could be a cost saving thing, the lowest NHS band that can give Jabs is a Band 3 I think (£20k to £21k) salary, at the moment there's loads of Band 5 and 6 Nurses working there, I think the Wife is on £35 an hour working Sundays.

Ok.
This is rapidly turning into the other Covid thread so I’m closing it.