SEVILLE, March 4 (EUROPE PRESS) –
In an effort to combat not only the Covid19 pandemic, but also other diseases of viral origin such as influenza, a research team from the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS) has demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of administering both vaccines simultaneously. Additionally, this practice can help ease the burden on the healthcare system by optimizing resources and time to act.
This work is a multicenter study carried out by IBiS and the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, with the participation of researchers from the University of Seville and the Los Bermejales Medical Center in Seville, as well as the group of Adolfo García Sastre from the Icahn School. Medicine” at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, according to a university press release.
“The effectiveness of the combined administration of influenza and Covid19 vaccines is comparable to the effectiveness of their use separately,” explained Maria Elisa Cordero, head of the group “Viral infections and immunosuppressed patients” at IBiS. The discovery comes in response to suspicions of possible interactions between the vaccines, which has led to uncertainty about their effectiveness when used in combination.
“Our research shows that this is not the case, that the reaction is the same. Even for the same type of influenza virus, the response is slightly better when the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are given at the same time, but in different groups.” “, the researcher added.
ROAD TO GO
However, it should be remembered that this is only one of the studies on this topic. Regarding the effectiveness of concomitant vaccination, the expert emphasized that there are still aspects of the immune response that require more in-depth study, especially in populations with a reduced immune response, such as immunocompromised patients. This is still one of the main problems to be solved.
“One of the next aspects of the study will be to analyze in groups of patients with lower vaccine response due to underlying medical conditions, such as immunosuppressed patients, whether there are vaccination strategies that can improve the effectiveness of both vaccines. “I am considering future studies examining vaccination strategies that may improve effectiveness in these groups,” he said.
In terms of clinical translation of these findings, the data indicate the safety and effectiveness of coadministration of influenza and Covid-19 vaccines. “Administering both vaccines at the same time can make vaccination more effective, saving time for both the patient and the healthcare team,” Cordero continued.
According to the researcher, this strategy not only optimizes vaccination logistics, saving resources and time, but also maintains the same safety and effectiveness, which is essential for improving vaccination coverage and therefore public health.
In other words, he notes, this study marks a step toward a more effective and flexible vaccination strategy that can address current and future public health challenges, and highlights the importance of ongoing research to optimize our response to viral diseases.
This work was funded by the Department of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities of the Government of Andalusia, with financial support from Feder.