UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PFIZER AND OXFORD (AstraZeneca) COVID VACCINATION CLINICS
At The Devereux Centre we are very lucky to have access to both Pfizer and Oxford (AZ) vaccines. The deliveries we receive vary, so some weeks we are working with one vaccine and some weeks the other. We will ensure that whichever vaccine you receive for your first dose, you will then receive the same for your second.
The clinics for Oxford (AZ) and Pfizer are run very differently due to the clinical requirements for each vaccine. The difference you, as the patient, will experience is the time it takes at the centre for your actual appointment.
The clinical requirements for the Pfizer vaccine state that we MUST monitor patients for 15 minutes after their injection. If you have had a Pfizer vaccine you will be asked to sit and wait afterwards and you will be given the time that your 15 minutes expires. This is managed in our waiting room and is overseen by one of our healthcare professionals.
The 15 minutes wait time is NOT a clinical requirement for the Oxford (AZ) vaccine, so these clinics are a little quicker and give us the ability to vaccinate more people in each session.
This means that depending on which vaccine you are given, you may have a different experience on the day to some one else you know that has had their vaccination.