Different vaccines for 1st and 2nd doses

[schiff1997]

With Canada and a few other countries now allowing people who got their 1st dose of AstraZeneca to choose their 2nd dose either AZ again or an mRNA vaccine, do you think Celebrity will accept that as fully vaccinated?  

[Fouremco]

An excellent question, and one that begs an even greater question: what vaccines are deemed acceptable to Celebrity? Currently, the US FDA has issue only three EUAs, for Pfizer, Moderna and Jansenn. So when the CDC and in turn Celebrity speak of vaccinations, are they only speaking about the three authorized by the FDA? What happens to all of the millions of people fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, let alone those who have had a hybrid AZ/mRNA two shot vaccination? Will a cruise out of the UK accept AZ vaccinations, but not one out of the US?

 

Canada will soon drop the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Canadians returning from abroad. But it appears, for the time being at least, that the quarantine requirement will only be waived for travellers vaccinated with Canada-approved vaccines. So the same three as in the US, plus AZ. Canadian living abroad during the pandemic who have been vaccinated with the WHO-approved Sinopharm vaccine (China) or the Sputnik V vaccine (Russia) must still quarantine upon their return. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news/1801625/vaccinated-canadians-overseas-frustrated-that-they-were-left-out-of-new-entry-rules

 

I hope that you are enjoying a very needed rainy day up the Valley.

 

 

[schiff1997]

35 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

An excellent question, and one that begs an even greater question: what vaccines are deemed acceptable to Celebrity? Currently, the US FDA has issue only three EUAs, for Pfizer, Moderna and Jansenn. So when the CDC and in turn Celebrity speak of vaccinations, are they only speaking about the three authorized by the FDA? What happens to all of the millions of people fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, let alone those who have had a hybrid AZ/mRNA two shot vaccination? Will a cruise out of the UK accept AZ vaccinations, but not one out of the US?

 

Canada will soon drop the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Canadians returning from abroad. But it appears, for the time being at least, that the quarantine requirement will only be waived for travellers vaccinated with Canada-approved vaccines. So the same three as in the US, plus AZ. Canadian living abroad during the pandemic who have been vaccinated with the WHO-approved Sinopharm vaccine (China) or the Sputnik V vaccine (Russia) must still quarantine upon their return. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news/1801625/vaccinated-canadians-overseas-frustrated-that-they-were-left-out-of-new-entry-rules

 

I hope that you are enjoying a very needed rainy day up the Valley.

 

 

Yes we do certainly need the rain, everything is very dry in the Valley

 

thanks for responding,  here is what Celebrity lists when departing from Athens but no specific vaccines listed from north American ports.   I have had my first AZ dose now I am scheduled for a 2nd dose Pfizer.  

 

• A vaccination certificate issued by a certified authority.
  • If the traveler has completed his/her vaccination (i.e., 14 days have elapsed since the last vaccination, depending on the doses required) and holds a vaccination certificate, then proof of a negative test is not required.
  • Vaccination certificates for the vaccines Sputnik, Sinovac, etc., not approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also exempt visitors from the obligation of producing a negative PCR test. Acceptable vaccines are: Pfizer BioNtech, Moderna, Astra Zeneca/Oxford, Novavax, Johnson + Johnson/Janssen, Sinovac Biotech, Gamaleya (Sputnik), Cansino Biologics, Sinopharm.
  • All certificates must include the critical information in English and the person’s full name must match the name on the passport or other travel document.

[Fouremco]

The list of acceptable vaccines is quite extensive. Hopefully Celebrity will adopt a similar list for cruises from North America and elsewhere. 

 

Going back to your original question, as both AZ and Pfizer are acceptable, and Canada and other countries have approved the two-vaccine approach, I'm confident that Celebrity will be satisfied with your vaccination certificate. That said, it wouldn't hurt to check with Celebrity. Depending on the response you get, you might want to go for a double AZ instead. Not to be confused with a double-double. 😊

[TeeRick]

Mixing two types of vaccine appears to produce an excellent immune response.  

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/06/mixing-covid-19-vaccines-appears-boost-immune-responses

 

Any country using this strategy (AZ then mRNA) should be acceptable by Celebrity as it was officially sanctioned by that country's health authority.  The cruise lines will need to accept this strategy anyway in the near future if booster vaccines are required.  All of these mix and match vaccine studies being done right now are laying the groundwork to get booster doses approved.  Hopefully it will be like annual influenza vaccines.  No need to use the exact same manufacturer of the flu vaccine every year.  Most people don't even know which ones they received.

[schiff1997]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

The list of acceptable vaccines is quite extensive. Hopefully Celebrity will adopt a similar list for cruises from North America and elsewhere. 

 

Going back to your original question, as both AZ and Pfizer are acceptable, and Canada and other countries have approved the two-vaccine approach, I'm confident that Celebrity will be satisfied with your vaccination certificate. That said, it wouldn't hurt to check with Celebrity. Depending on the response you get, you might want to go for a double AZ instead. Not to be confused with a double-double. 😊

Had a bit of crazy side effects with the AZ so trying not to get dose #2 same.  We are not cruising till next year so hopefully I won’t even have to worry.   No double-double for me I am sweet enough already 🤣. Lots of extra paperwork to fill out if choosing Pfizer for 2nd dose !

[schiff1997]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Mixing two types of vaccine appears to produce an excellent immune response.  

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/06/mixing-covid-19-vaccines-appears-boost-immune-responses

 

Any country using this strategy (AZ then mRNA) should be acceptable by Celebrity as it was officially sanctioned by that country's health authority.  The cruise lines will need to accept this strategy anyway in the near future if booster vaccines are required.  All of these mix and match vaccine studies being done right now are laying the groundwork to get booster doses approved.  Hopefully it will be like annual influenza vaccines.  No need to use the exact same manufacturer of the flu vaccine every year.  Most people don't even know which ones they received.

Thanks for your insight, i will be glad just to be fully vaccinated 💉 I agree with what your saying.  Hopefully by the time we cruise early next year things will have sorted themselves out 

[Eli_6]

FYI, I had bad side effects with the Moderna (my period went missing for 3.5 months and I had to take meds to get it back when I was previously always regular) so I would recommend the Pfizer over Moderna if you are going to go for one of the MRNA vaccines. Seems like people have fewer side effects overall with Pfizer. 

[Mike45LC]

As we all know, many crew members are Filipinos.  The Philippines is very slow in getting the population vaccinated, due to vaccine supply issues.  And many of the vaccines they are giving out are AstraZ or Sinovac -- the victims are not told which vaccine they are getting until they are about to get the jab, at which time it is "take it or get in the back of the line."  

 

I don't know if the crew members were all re-vaccinated (or vaccinated for the first time) when they got on board.

 

The question of mixing the vaccines is interesting!  And then, will I want to get Pfizer as a booster to my Moderna #1 and 2?

[TeeRick]

I think it will all sort itself out.  It might turn out that if vaccines are truly interchangeable, the potential best mix for dose 1 and 2 might be different technology types.  That is, for example, an adenovector vaccine (like AZ) followed by an mRNA vaccine (like Pfizer or Moderna).  Or followed by a protein subunit vaccine (like Novavax).  This strategy is generally called prime-boost in the vaccine field.  Many combinations are being tested or will be tested soon.

[pixiedust777]

I was doing a ton of research on this exact dilemma on the weekend.

With so many countries now mixing the vaccines ( France, Germany, UK, Spain and Canada)and as long as you have had two doses of either Astrazeneca, Pfizer or Moderna you are fully vaccinated.
No where do entry/boarding requirements say that the doses must be the same vaccine. 

DH and I had AZ as our first vaccine and due to having no supply where We are both DH and I will be getting Moderna as our second shot this Friday.

I also like that preliminary studies that mixing the types has shown a stronger immunity to COVID including the variants.

 

 

[Miaminice]

I have been vaccinated with AZ and Biontech/Pfizer. I was allowed to choose on my second appointment and chose the mix due to the excellent results.

I received my (European) digital vaccination passport yesterday.

 

So far I know Celebrity will accept it. As to the US… so far it’s unknown. However, as mentioned above, the US can’t ignore the positive results and high efficacy forever.

[tert333]

8 hours ago, Miaminice said:

I have been vaccinated with AZ and Biontech/Pfizer. I was allowed to choose on my second appointment and chose the mix due to the excellent results.

I received my (European) digital vaccination passport yesterday.

 

So far I know Celebrity will accept it. As to the US… so far it’s unknown. However, as mentioned above, the US can’t ignore the positive results and high efficacy forever.

I am in the same situation where I have AZ and Pfizer.   I opened a thread yesterday on Princess forum.  You may want to monitor it as well.   I think at least in the short term, if you are sailing out of the US, they will be looking to the CDC definition of vaccination, which I have copied and pasted below.   The wording is a bit ambiguous but it could be interpreted that we will be fine.

 

Does your European vaccination passport refer to the two different vaccines?  In Canada, the documentation that I have received so far says that I have received the two doses and in the box where it specifies the vaccine, it shows Pfizer, which was my second.

 

Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?

In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ^±

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

 

± This guidance applies to COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines.  This guidance can also be applied to COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (e.g. AstraZeneca/Oxford).

 

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

 

 

[tert333]

Just as a footnote, the World Health Organization has not officially sanctioned mixing doses.  I would hope that in the short term as more and more countries are doing it, they will approve it.

 

Below is a summary of the countries that are mixing doses now.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/countries-weigh-mix-match-covid-19-vaccines-2021-05-24/

[patty1955]

12 hours ago, Miaminice said:

I received my (European) digital vaccination passport yesterday.

 

Which vaccine passport are you using? We're (maybe) heading off to Europe in October and may need one. 

[Miaminice]

1 minute ago, patty1955 said:

Which vaccine passport are you using? We're (maybe) heading off to Europe in October and may need one. 

Since the digital EU vaccination certificate is for vaccinations in Europe, this one might not be for you…

 

Anyway, here in Germany they started issuing the certificate on Monday this week. When you get your shots you are handed are paper certificate and they glue a sticker into the yellow WHO vaccination passport.

 

If you were vaccinated before this week you can either go to a pharmacy or some doctors with these documents where a QR code is generated incl. your data. People yet to receive their shots will be given the QR code directly when vaccinated. The QR code can be scanned into an app generating a digital password including a QR code which is accepted within the EU. All you need to do is show your phone… and maybe some form of ID.

[schiff1997]

20 hours ago, pixiedust777 said:

I was doing a ton of research on this exact dilemma on the weekend.

With so many countries now mixing the vaccines ( France, Germany, UK, Spain and Canada)and as long as you have had two doses of either Astrazeneca, Pfizer or Moderna you are fully vaccinated.
No where do entry/boarding requirements say that the doses must be the same vaccine. 

DH and I had AZ as our first vaccine and due to having no supply where We are both DH and I will be getting Moderna as our second shot this Friday.

I also like that preliminary studies that mixing the types has shown a stronger immunity to COVID including the variants.

 

 

Me too so much reading on mixing, but like you and your husband, I am getting the Pfizer next week.   It certainly is all about doing your part on the vaccine front and keeping everyone safe first .  The world is changing its views daily, very hard to keep up with it all !

[schiff1997]

4 hours ago, tert333 said:

I am in the same situation where I have AZ and Pfizer.   I opened a thread yesterday on Princess forum.  You may want to monitor it as well.   I think at least in the short term, if you are sailing out of the US, they will be looking to the CDC definition of vaccination, which I have copied and pasted below.   The wording is a bit ambiguous but it could be interpreted that we will be fine.

 

Does your European vaccination passport refer to the two different vaccines?  In Canada, the documentation that I have received so far says that I have received the two doses and in the box where it specifies the vaccine, it shows Pfizer, which was my second.

 

Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?

In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ^±

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

 

± This guidance applies to COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines.  This guidance can also be applied to COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (e.g. AstraZeneca/Oxford).

 

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

 

 

Thank you for this info, I will read up on the Princess board.