Safe to give COVID-19 shot and flu vaccine at the same time: U.K. study
It is safe for people to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and a flu shot at the same time and it does not negatively impact the immune response produced by either, a British study found last week.
Britain and other northern hemisphere countries are bracing for a tough winter and the possibility of a surge in flu cases as COVID-19 restrictions are eased and social distancing measures relaxed.
Booster COVID-19 shots are being given to elderly and vulnerable people and to health workers in Britain, while U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has also promised the biggest flu vaccination program in history this year.
The study, led by the University of Bristol, found that reported side effects were usually mild to moderate in tests with three flu vaccines and either Pfizer or AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot.
"This is a really positive step which could mean fewer appointments for those who require both vaccines," chief investigator Rajeka Lazarus said.
"The results of this study have been presented to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for their consideration and will aid policy makers in planning the future of these important vaccination programs."
Shots were given on the same day, in opposite arms.
One group had a COVID shot and a flu jab in a first visit, with a placebo given in a second visit, and another had a COVID-19 shot and a placebo given on the same day, followed by a flu vaccine on the second day.
The study found 97 per cent of participants said they would be willing to have two vaccines at the same appointment in the future.
The study involved 679 volunteers at 12 sites across England and Wales, and was released as a pre-print, with full results due to be published in the Lancet.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by William Maclean)
COVID-19 COVERAGE
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia sanctions 61 more Canadians, including top Trudeau staffers, premiers, mayors and journalists
Russia has issued a fresh round of sanctions, targeting 61 Canadians including premiers, mayors, journalists, military officials and top staffers in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.

Poilievre defends investments in rental properties while campaigning to address housing affordability
Even as he decries government policies for pushing up the cost of housing, Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is defending investments he and his wife made in rental properties of the kind that some economists say contribute to rising real estate prices.
What are the COVID-19 travel restrictions at popular destinations for Canadians?
Canadians considering summer travel plans have to factor in COVID-19 restrictions that are in flux around the world, as countries change their rules on masking and border-crossing. CTVNews.ca has compiled a list of the vaccination, COVID-19 testing and masking requirements at some of the most popular vacation destinations for Canadians:
Putin claims victory in Mariupol but won't storm steel plant
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol on Thursday, even as he ordered his troops not to take the risk of storming the giant steel plant where the last Ukrainian defenders in the city were holed up.
Sharp rise in passport applications fuelling longer wait times: Service Canada
A resurging interest in travel has seen the number of Canadian passports issued over the past year more than triple, in some cases resulting in longer wait times, the latest figures from the federal government show.
Nova Scotia taxi driver leaves $1.68 million to local hospital in his will
It was no surprise that beloved Antigonish, N.S., taxi driver John MacLellan gave what money he had to the local hospital in his will, family friend Margie Zinck said.
Ukrainian Canadian Congress calls on police to investigate Victoria arson attack as hate crime
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress says an arson attack on the home of a Ukrainian family in Victoria should be investigated as a hate crime.
Brit stuck in Canada over PR card kerfuffle desperate to see father with terminal illness
Shana Olie says she never thought she'd be stuck in Canada, unable to see her gravely ill father in the U.K. -- not because of the pandemic, but due to administrative delays at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Years of fruitful relations between Disney, Florida at risk
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking lawmakers to end Disney's government in a move that jeopardizes the symbiotic relationship between the state and company.