Germany issued he strongest recommendation anywhere for the mixing of Covid-19 vaccines on efficacy grounds, CNN reports.

The German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) said Thursday that

People who receive a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine "should get an mRNA vaccine as their second dose, regardless of their age",  the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) said.

Germany becomes one of the first countries to strongly recommend that people who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca receive either a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine as their second dose.

STIKO said that "current study results" show that the immune response generated after a mixed dose vaccination "is clearly superior."

Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization also recommended on June 17 that "an mRNA vaccine is now preferred as the second dose for individuals who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine."

A study carried out by researchers at the University of Oxford and published June 28 found that "alternating doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines generate robust immune responses against COVID-19."