A UK-based study looking at using different types of coronavirus vaccine for first and second doses is looking for volunteers.

A Government-backed study is set to get underway into whether different coronavirus vaccines can be used safely and still provide the same level of protection.

Lead researcher Dr Matthew Snape, associate professor in paediatrics and vaccinology at the University of Oxford, told BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme the study was driven by improving “flexibility in vaccine delivery”.

He said: “If somebody turns up to have their second vaccine and they’ve already receive say the Pfizer vaccine and it’s not available that day then can they receive the Oxford vaccine as an alternative? And vice versa, of course.

“That would greatly improve the flexibility of delivery.

“It is good medicine to make sure you have flexibility in what you can do and that you’re protecting against any future problems.

“We’re looking to see if immunising with a mixed schedule is as good as immunising with the straight approved schedule.

“There’s also some potential advantages: in animal studies for example we see a better antibody response with a mixed schedule rather than the straight schedule.

“This is new and this is exciting, it will be the first study looking at using the RNA vaccine, which is the Pfizer/BioNTech one, and a viral vector vaccine which is the Oxford/AstraZeneca one in the same schedule.”

READ MORE:

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the study would not impact on the current rollout.

He told Sky News: “It will report probably after the summer and of course it will have no impact on the deployment.

“If you have currently had the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, you will get your Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as your second dose, your booster dose.

“And of course if you have the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, you’ll get the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

“This is more longer-term, keeping us ahead of – at least in a leadership position, I should say – in the world, in helping the whole world because no one is safe until we are all safe.

“If we understand more about how we can use vaccines together then we should be in a much stronger position in terms of vaccinating the United Kingdom, but also the rest of the world.”