According to the results of a study by Oxford University, people had a better immune response when they received a first dose of AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) or Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)-BioNTech (Nasdaq:BNTX) COVID-19 shots followed by Moderna (Nasdaq:MRNA) nine weeks later, Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday.

Matthew Snape, the Oxford professor behind the Com-COV2 trial, told Reuters: "We found a really good immune response across the board..., in fact, higher than the threshold set by Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine two doses."

"I think the data from this study will be especially interesting and valuable to low- and middle-income countries where they're still rolling out the first two doses of vaccines," Snape said, adding, "We're showing...you don't have to stick rigidly to receiving the same vaccine for a second dose...and that if the programme will be delivered more quickly by using multiple vaccines, then it is okay to do so."

According to the University of Oxford researchers, if the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is followed by a Moderna (Nasdaq:MRNA) or Novavax (Nasdaq:NVAX) shot, higher antibodies and T-cell responses were induced versus two doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford.

This study of 1,070 volunteers, published in the Lancet medical journal, also found that a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine followed by a Moderna shot was better than two doses of the standard Pfizer-BioNTech course.

In addition, the Pfizer-BioNTech followed by Novavax induced higher antibodies than the two-dose Oxford-AstraZeneca schedule, although this schedule induced lower antibody and T-cell responses than the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech schedule.

The researchers said that the study also found that a first dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine followed by any of the other candidates in the study generated a particularly robust response, consistent with findings in June 2021.

No safety concerns were raised, according to the study.