It is safe for people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza at the same time, British study shows

It is safe for people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza at the same time, British study shows

LONDON, 1st October, 2021 – A British research has found that it is safe for people to receive a flu vaccine at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine.

Reported side effects were mainly mild to moderate, and there were no negative impacts on the immune response produced by either vaccine when both were given on the same day, in opposite arms.

The study, which was led by researchers at the Bristol Trials Centre, University of Bristol, said earlier in the pandemic, it was not known whether further booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines would be required
to give continued protection, and how giving boosters may fit in with the seasonal flu vaccine programme, according to a press release on the university’s website.

The Combining Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination (ComFluCOV) study looked to establish the safety of co-administering the most widely used COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in the UK and describe the expected side effects and immune responses to the vaccines when they are given together.

Two COVID-19 and three influenza vaccines were tested, meaning six combinations in all.

Participants recruited to the study were over the age of 18 and had already received one dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and were awaiting their second dose.

Chris Rogers, Professor of Medical Statistics and Clinical Trials and Director of Bristol Trials Centre at the University of Bristol, said: “The quality of the data provided by participants was excellent.

It is reassuring that the results suggest that there are no safety concerns when giving the COVID-19 and flu vaccines together.

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