EMA and ECDC recommendations on heterologous vaccination courses against COVID-19

20/12/2021

On 7 December 2021, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued recommendations related to heterologous schemes for primary vaccination and boosters against COVID-19, in order to provide scientific grounds and additional flexibility to vaccination schedules in the European Union.   

They point out that evidence from studies on heterologous vaccination suggests that the combination of viral vector vaccines and mRNA vaccines produces good levels of antibodies against the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) and a higher T cell response than using the same vaccine (homologous vaccination), whether in a primary or booster schedule. The heterologous schedules were generally well tolerated. The use of a viral vector vaccine as a second dose in primary vaccination schedules, or use of two different mRNA vaccines, is less well studied.

Although the review did not consider other vaccines that are not yet authorized in the European Union, it indicated that research on heterologous combinations of those vaccines will be taken into account in the future if the vaccines are authorized.

For more information on these recommendations, visit https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-ecdcrecommendations-heterologous-vaccination-courses-against-covid-19

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