University of B.C.-assisted research suggests waiting longer between first and second COVID-19 vaccination doses provides better immunity.

According to a press release, a peer-reviewed study with principal investigator Brian Grunau, UBC department of emergency medicine professor, found that sa国际传媒渁 longer dose interval (of mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna) leads to a stronger immune response.sa国际传媒� The research, published Tuesday (Nov. 30), compared blood tests from 186 paramedics, some who received their shots in under the recommended four weeks and others who were vaccinated after six to seven weeks.

sa国际传媒淲e found significantly higher levels of antibodies in individuals who had longer vaccine intervals, and this was consistent regardless of which mRNA vaccine was administered,sa国际传媒� Grunau said in the press release.

With half of the people in the world vaccinated, the research has sa国际传媒渋mplications for the ongoing global vaccination effort,sa国际传媒� stated the press release. Increasing time between doses could see better sa国际传媒渓ong-term immune responsesa国际传媒� and lead to better sa国际传媒渃ommunity-level accesssa国际传媒� to first vaccine shots, it said.

sa国际传媒淭his longer interval strategy enables early access to first doses in the population and ensuring the best protection possible with the two-dose series,sa国际传媒� said Grunau.

People who participated in the study are part of the larger COVID-19 Occupational Risks, Seroprevalence and Immunity among Paramedics project, said the press release, a Canada-wide study looking at the pandemicsa国际传媒檚 effect on paramedics.

Research was funded by money from the Government of Canadasa国际传媒檚 COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.

According to the latest COVID-19 numbers from the health ministry, there were 375 new cases reported in the province and 88.4 per cent of eligible adults in the province have received two vaccine shots.

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