University of Honduras initiates a study of combination of Covid vaccines

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Autonomous University of Honduras (Unah, state-run) initiated a scientific study of a combination of Sputnik V vaccines with Pfizer and Moderna this Monday. However, it was reported that it was suspended at the last minute, apparently temporarily due to an “administrative failure”.

Unah’s Covid-19 Committee scheduled the research in advance, given the uncertainty created by the delay of the second dose of 40,000 Sputnik vaccines, to be administered to the same number of people who received the first dose in May.

The process was interrupted by instructions of the Health Secretariat because it is necessary to verify that the volunteers who have agreed to the study have signed a form, according to local media reports.

The health authorities, who expect to have an answer tomorrow as to whether or not the 40,000 doses of Sputnik V that are missing will be delivered, have neither confirmed nor denied the versions circulating about the suspension of the study.

AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE WERE VACCINATED TODAY

The virologist and microbiologist Wendy Murillo said that the study was suspended when 35 people had already registered and seven were vaccinated, apparently due to “administrative failures” alleged by the Health Secretariat, which had already authorized the research.

He added that the people who had agreed to the study would be given a second notice about the final determination.

According to Murillo, the study foresees that “people who were vaccinated with Sputnik V in their first dose, would receive a second dose, either from Pfizer or Moderna.”

“This is proposed based on preliminary scientific results that have shown that the combination of immunizers based on a viral vector and a messenger RNA produces an excellent immunological response and even better than the complete vaccination responses of the same pharmaceutical company while maintaining safety,” Murillo emphasized.

Unah also indicated last week in its electronic media that the studies on cross-vaccination “are safe and reliable” and that “they have been developed in other countries”.

For the “Clinical trial of immunogenicity and reactogenicity of the primary scheme and heterologous booster with a Covid-19 adenoviral vector and RNA vaccine in comparison with homologous vaccine regimens”, Unah expects to have 1,000 volunteers, dozens of whom began to arrive in the early hours of today.

THE STUDY IS FOR PEOPLE OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE

The volunteers include teachers from various faculties of the Unah who are vaccinated with the first dose of Sputnik V.

The requirements to be met by the volunteers for the scientific study, in addition to being vaccinated with the first dose of Sputnik V, are to be “men and women 18 years of age and older; in good health or stable clinical situation” and the “commitment to return 14 and 21 days after the application of the second dose”.

Murillo explained that Unah ruled out the scientific research between Sputnik V and AstraZeneca “since this type of combination is being carried out by the creators of the second component”.

“We will dedicate ourselves to evaluate other possibilities motivated by those Hondurans who were vaccinated in May by the preparation of the Gamaleya Institute and who have not yet received the second dose,” he added.

Among those vaccinated with Sputnik V are hundreds of Honduran journalists throughout the country.

Among some Hondurans, there is confusion due to multiple versions on social networks, unofficial, in the sense that Sputnik V cannot be combined with other vaccines.

In this regard, the Unah indicated that “the Gamaleya Institute, creator of the Russian preparation, has already carried out tests with AstraZeneca, studies which showed positive results”.

The maximum house of studies also indicated, last week, that the study that has started today is led by the Covid-19 Unah committee and the Virology Department, accompanied by SESAL (Health Secretariat) and the Red Cross, and has the advice of the Honduran scientist Salvador Moncada, who resides in London.

Since March 2020, when it began to spread in Honduras, the covid-19 pandemic has left at least 8,120 people dead and 305,936 infected, the state-run National Risk Management System (Sinager) reported on Friday.

Of the 9.5 million inhabitants of Honduras, the authorities plan to immunize 70%, for which some five million vaccines have been received so far.

So far, about two million have been vaccinated, mostly only with the first dose.