Coronavirus vaccines: Delaying second dose from 8 to 12 weeks won’t cause harm - Virologist

Virologist, Dr Michael Owusu, has indicated that there is no cause for alarm as the second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines can be taken within a 12- weeks window period after the first jab.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, Dr Owusu, indicated that should government fail to acquire the second batch of vaccine for persons who have already taken the first dose, the second dose when taken after an additional 4 weeks will still be effective.

"We had ample evidence from the UK and other organizations that delaying the second dose of vaccine from 8 weeks to 12 weeks will not cause any harm,” he said.

He added: "In fact, the very recent findings they came out with is that if you delay the vaccine (second dose) up to 12 weeks, in those that had that delays had about 3- fold higher antibodies tighter compared to those who took their second dose in 8 weeks.

“Based on these pre-clinical and clinical phase trials, I think that going for 12 weeks is within the window period for taking the second dose. This will rather help boost the antibody level compared to the earlier 3 weeks we used to know and it would not cause any harm to the population."

Dr Owusu also called on government to procure enough vaccines to vaccinate a larger number of persons, this he believes will boost Ghana's COVID-19 fight.

"People should rather be settled in their minds and not be worried much with the hope that by 12weekse from the first dose, we should be able to get the second dose in order to vaccinate as many people as possible," he added.

Meanwhile, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has however explained that the delay in procurement of additional vaccines is a result of the global scramble for doses.

Speaking at a Press Conference on April 18, 2021, Dr Kuma-Aboagye allayed all fears saying that persons who took the first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have a “four-week window period and beyond" to take the second dose.

He said: “As a service, we are more concerned about having more people with the first dose. There are also bilateral arrangements that will bring in other COVAX vaccines including Johnson and Johnson which we are expecting in the third quarter of the year."

“So, we are assuring people that the fact that if you do not get it on the eighth week means there’s something wrong. We still have a four-week window period and beyond to have it,” Dr Kuma-Aboagye added.