what is MINIMUM allowed time between AstraZeneca dose 1 and 2?

[lsemprini]

 

What is the MINIMUM number of days between dose 1 AstraZeneca and dose 2 AstraZeneca that Thailand Pass will accept?

 

Thailand Pass clearly documents that 14 days must pass between the second dose and entering Thailand, but that's not what I'm asking.

 

In Richard Barrow's latest newsletter he got information about MIXED doses from the MFA, which was like this:

 

 

Quote

 

You are allowed to mix vaccines on this list according to this guide:

• 1st dose (Sinovac) = 2nd dose after 2 weeks
• 1st dose (AstraZeneca) = 2nd dose after 4 weeks
• 1st dose (Pfizer-BioNTech = 2nd dose after 3 weeks
• 1st dose (Moderna) = 2nd dose after 4 weeks
• 1st dose (Sinopharm) = 2nd dose after 3 weeks
• 1st dose (Sputnik V) = 2nd dose after 3 weeks

 

However, I do NOT have mixed doses --- I have both AstraZeneca.  And there seems to be widespread disagreement about the "correct" spacing (the manufacturer says 12 weeks, local doctors here say 5-10 weeks) so I imagine Thailand Pass has their own idea about the "correct" spacing.

 

Does anyone have direct experience with this or seen an official answer about non-mixed AstraZeneca doses from Thailand Pass?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

[Banana7]

Only the manufacturer can state the proper timing between doses. The instructions are clear, 12 weeks.

[Lemsta69]

8 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

Only the manufacturer can state the proper timing between doses. The instructions are clear, 12 weeks.

that's not what he's asking

[lsemprini]

6 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

Only the manufacturer can state the proper timing between doses. The instructions are clear, 12 weeks.

Well, you're using logic there, which unfortunately doesn't apply in this situation (note that Thailand has already explicitly said they allow AZ + other vaccines with a 4 week delay).  Since it's not 12 weeks for mixed, I doubt the requirement is 12 weeks for AZ+AZ either.  But I'd like to find out what it actually is since I will be given doses spaced more closely.

 

By the way, all over Viet Nam (which is where I happen to be now) they are giving AZ+AZ with less than 12 weeks.  It seems they are balancing the benefits of more effectiveness at 12 weeks with the benefits of fewer people dying if they can get everyone up to 2 shots more quickly at less than 12 weeks, even if the effectiveness is lower.  It's quite a tricky decision to make. 

[Lemsta69]

my Thailand Pass application is still being reviewed so I'm sorry I can't give you my experiences yet. I had my two AZ shots six weeks apart based on Aus govt advice at the time (June 2021 peak in NSW)

Edited November 10, 2021 by Lemsta69

[Lemsta69]

2 minutes ago, lsemprini said:

Well, you're using logic there, which unfortunately doesn't apply in this situation (note that Thailand has already explicitly said they allow AZ + other vaccines with a 4 week delay).  Since it's not 12 weeks for mixed, I doubt the requirement is 12 weeks for AZ+AZ either.  But I'd like to find out what it actually is since I will be given doses spaced more closely.

 

By the way, all over Viet Nam (which is where I happen to be now) they are giving AZ+AZ with less than 12 weeks.  It seems they are balancing the benefits of more effectiveness at 12 weeks with the benefits of fewer people dying if they can get everyone up to 2 shots more quickly at less than 12 weeks, even if the effectiveness is lower.  It's quite a tricky decision to make. 

this is what Aus advisory group ATAGI did back in June when cases were climbing in NSW. it was a tricky decision to make but I went ahead and got the 2nd dose at +6 weeks because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. 

 

of course now I wish that I'd waited and got the extra protection as I'm moving to TH in December. hindsight is 20/20 etc etc ????

[richard_smith237]

29 minutes ago, lsemprini said:

Does anyone have direct experience with this or seen an official answer about non-mixed AstraZeneca doses from Thailand Pass?

From the sole perspective of Thailand Pass it wouldn’t matter if there is 3 weeks or 3 months between 1st and 2nd dose of AstraZeneca - all that matters is you have had both doses. 

 

From a medical perspective the landscape has changed regrind the ideal window between doses. 

There are no medical risks with taking a second dose at two weeks compared to 14 weeks.

 

Initially the consensus was that the window between both does of AstraZeneca ‘should’ be 8 weeks, however further studies (antibody testing) identified that 12 weeks was a better gap to achieve maximum effectiveness (antibodies), however, this was also balanced with the risk of waiting so long for second dose vs the risk of catching Covid-19 having only had one dose, thus the general consensus swung the other way back to 8 weeks.

 

I’m not sure what the recommendation is now as most discussion has moved on to timing of boosters. 

[lsemprini]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

From the sole perspective of Thailand Pass it wouldn’t matter if there is 3 weeks or 3 months between 1st and 2nd dose of AstraZeneca - all that matters is you have had both doses. 

Well that is apparently not the case because Thailand Pass clearly says you have to have at least 4 weeks after AZ if you mix doses, so presumably they have some minimum they will accept for AZ+AZ too (but they don't say, hence my question).

 

But anyway thanks for the helpful info about AZ history; good to know.

 

No matter what AZ interval I get, I plan to have Pfizer or Moderna boosters in Thailand (neither is practically available in VN at the moment) so I am less concerned about the effectiveness of the AZ.

 

[richard_smith237]

19 minutes ago, lsemprini said:

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

From the sole perspective of Thailand Pass it wouldn’t matter if there is 3 weeks or 3 months between 1st and 2nd dose of AstraZeneca - all that matters is you have had both doses. 

Well that is apparently not the case because Thailand Pass clearly says you have to have at least 4 weeks after AZ if you mix doses, so presumably they have some minimum they will accept for AZ+AZ too (but they don't say, hence my question).

 

But anyway thanks for the helpful info about AZ history; good to know.

 

No matter what AZ interval I get, I plan to have Pfizer or Moderna boosters in Thailand (neither is practically available in VN at the moment) so I am less concerned about the effectiveness of the AZ.

Thats for mixed vaccination....  I guess the same logic could be applied to 2nd dose of the same vaccine. 

Though I very much doubt an application (to Thailand Pass) would be rejected because someone has had AZ doses 3 weeks apart or 15 weeks apart etc

 

[jaiyenyen]

I have had 2 doses of AZ, given to me at my local Thai, government hospital.

After the 1st dose I was given a date to receive my 2nd dose (12 weeks). I asked if I could have the second dose sooner and the hospital said no, I had to wait 12 weeks between jabs.

 

[Lemsta69]

23 minutes ago, jaiyenyen said:

I have had 2 doses of AZ, given to me at my local Thai, government hospital.

After the 1st dose I was given a date to receive my 2nd dose (12 weeks). I asked if I could have the second dose sooner and the hospital said no, I had to wait 12 weeks between jabs.

 

OP's question is what minimum interval will be accepted when applying for the Thailand Pass. he's currently in VN.

Edited November 10, 2021 by Lemsta69

[eggzthaioz]

When I got my first Astra here in Australia I asked and was told minimum of 4 weeks maximum of 12 weeks. I got my second after 8 weeks. In December prior to returning to Thailand I'll get a Pfizer booster.

[slsmith38]

I was told AZ+AZ in Thailand is minimum 8 weeks between doses. I needed to travel urgently before my 12 week AZ  second dose was scheduled and Phyathai 2 said they could bring it forward to 8 weeks.

[new2here]

25 minutes ago, slsmith38 said:

I was told AZ+AZ in Thailand is minimum 8 weeks between doses. I needed to travel urgently before my 12 week AZ  second dose was scheduled and Phyathai 2 said they could bring it forward to 8 weeks.

That’s exactly what I was told too when i got my AZ #1…. and based on that 8wk number, i was able to get my #2 exactly at the start of week #8

[KarenBravo]

44 minutes ago, slsmith38 said:

I was told AZ+AZ in Thailand is minimum 8 weeks between doses. I needed to travel urgently before my 12 week AZ  second dose was scheduled and Phyathai 2 said they could bring it forward to 8 weeks.

That's what I heard, too. Eight weeks minimum, optimal 12 weeks.

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, lsemprini said:

Does anyone have direct experience with this or seen an official answer about non-mixed AstraZeneca doses from Thailand Pass?

I don't know about the Thailand pass... but I've had two shots of AZ in Thailand at the same vaccination centre.

After the first shot I was given the date/appointment to return.

Aug 10th first shot

Oct 26th second shot.

So 77 days between

[Golden Triangle]

Both me & the Mrs had AZ, I've had 2 jabs 12 weeks apart, the mrs gets her 2nd jab soon & that will also be 12 weeks as well.

[GroveHillWanderer]

15 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Initially the consensus was that the window between both does of AstraZeneca ‘should’ be 8 weeks, however further studies (antibody testing) identified that 12 weeks was a better gap to achieve maximum effectiveness (antibodies), however, this was also balanced with the risk of waiting so long for second dose vs the risk of catching Covid-19 having only had one dose, thus the general consensus swung the other way back to 8 weeks.

As far as I recall, when they first started giving the AZ vaccine on the UK, they were using a 4 week gap between doses, which was in line with the manufacturer's recommendation of an interval of anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks.

 

See excerpt below from an AstraZeneca press release in December 2020:

 

Quote

The authorisation recommends two doses administered with an interval of between four and 12 weeks. 

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine authorised

 

However that was fairly quickly changed to a 12 week gap in order to get more people vaccinated more quickly.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, lsemprini said:

Well, you're using logic there, which unfortunately doesn't apply in this situation (note that Thailand has already explicitly said they allow AZ + other vaccines with a 4 week delay).  Since it's not 12 weeks for mixed, I doubt the requirement is 12 weeks for AZ+AZ either.  But I'd like to find out what it actually is since I will be given doses spaced more closely.

 

By the way, all over Viet Nam (which is where I happen to be now) they are giving AZ+AZ with less than 12 weeks.  It seems they are balancing the benefits of more effectiveness at 12 weeks with the benefits of fewer people dying if they can get everyone up to 2 shots more quickly at less than 12 weeks, even if the effectiveness is lower.  It's quite a tricky decision to make. 

There is no definitive time set. In the beginning AZ said that the "recommended" time between 1st and 2nd should 4 weeks. The UK ignored the advice and set an interval of 12 weeks which led to a lot of debate. However as time went by more data was collected and AZ revised their recommendation saying that effectiveness improved with a more protracted interval between doses. At one point Thailand did consider a 16 week interval but again this caused a bit of an outcry.

It would appear now the general consensus is anytime after 8 weeks but there is nothing to say that the original 4 weeks cannot be used, at the end of the day it is in the hands of those administering the vaccine and your own acceptance.

As far as Thailand Pass is concerned you need a certificate indicating 2 doses of AZ.

I had one AZ in Thailand and one AZ in UK. When I applied for COE the London embassy rejected my status as I only had indication of a jab in each country, not a certificate showing 2 jabs. This however was over turned on arrival and the DCO admitted me as vaccinated.

[richard_smith237]

49 minutes ago, sandyf said:

As far as Thailand Pass is concerned you need a certificate indicating 2 doses of AZ.

I had one AZ in Thailand and one AZ in UK. When I applied for COE the London embassy rejected my status as I only had indication of a jab in each country, not a certificate showing 2 jabs. This however was over turned on arrival and the DCO admitted me as vaccinated.

This is excellent info and highlights that the officers on the ground (MoPH health checks) are operating with intelligent discretion - this is also what I saw (back in April) when upon arrival my entry papers were stamped with 10 days instead of 14 under recent rule changes at that time. 

 

 

[unblocktheplanet]

Son is a principal scientist at J&J. Longest interval is best. My 18-year old grandson is doing 6 months between Pfizer doses to maximise immunity. Shorter is not better.