Experts from Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) recommend the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to reduce the interval between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from 12 weeks to eight-four weeks.
“We recommend that the Health Ministry’s expert group should decide to reduce the interval between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and accept the relevant recommendation from the Australian technical group. It suggests that it is advisable to reduce the interval to four-eight weeks during the period of an outbreak risk,” Head of the KSE Center for Health Care Economics Yuriy Hanychenko said during an online presentation of an analysis of the situation with the spread of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Recent studies have shown a decrease in the effectiveness of one dose of AstraZeneca against the delta strain, he said, while two doses show similar effectiveness as against other strains.
“With a significant risk of an outbreak in Ukraine, those vaccinated with only one dose will receive little protection. This risk does not outweigh the benefit of the potential increase in efficacy with a second dose after 12 weeks,” Hanychenko said.
He also noted that a number of countries, in particular the United Kingdom and Australia, have already reduced the interval between the two doses.
In addition, the expert stressed that the epidemic situation in Ukraine continues to worsen, but remains under control so far.
“Beds with oxygen and resuscitation beds are loaded by 10% and 15%, respectively. The case detection rate is at 2.8%. At the same time, hospitalizations are already a quarter higher than discharges. That is, the gap between hospitalizations and discharges is increasing and the burden on the healthcare system is accelerating. Over the week, the number of patients increased by 16%, last week the growth was 9%,” he said.
Hanychenko stressed that the incidence is growing in 16 out of 25 regions. There were four such regions last week.
