UK launches world-first COVID-19 study evaluating a mixed-vaccine regimen

A world-first study has launched in the UK with the aim of examining the safety and efficacy of mixing different vaccines for COVID-19 as part of a two-dose regimen. Patients involved in the 13-month clinical study will receive different COVID-19 vaccines for one of their two doses. The study, which has received £7m in UK government funding, will be the first in the world to evaluate whether different vaccines can be used safely and effectively for two-dose regimes. In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said that the study participants could either receive AstraZeneca (AZ)/Oxford University's vaccine for their first dose and Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine for the second, or vice versa.