The World Health Organization has advised against mixing different types of Covid-19 vaccines.
Thailand has decided to allow residents to combine AstraZeneca and Sinovac jabs, while last month Canada told citizens who had received a first dose of AstraZeneca to have either a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their second.
However, the WHO says there is a lack of evidence regarding mixing vaccines.
“It's a little bit of a dangerous trend here,” Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO's chief scientist said during a briefing.
“We are in a data-free, evidence-free zone as far as mix and match.
“It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose.”
Studies are currently being conducted into the effects of mixing coronavirus vaccines but UK Government policy is for people to receive two doses of the same vaccine.
“It is current UK policy that you will get the same type of vaccine for your first and second doses,” according to a department of health Q and A on gov.uk.
“The NHS keeps a very careful track of the type of vaccine you got the first time in the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS).
“When people are called back for their second dose the NIMS tells staff what vaccine to give.
“The NHS and PHE are managing stock levels very carefully so that the right vaccines are available locally for second doses.”
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