New Delhi: Overall antibody levels begin to decline six weeks after full immunization with the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, and may drop by more than 50% in ten weeks, according to a new Lancet study.
According to experts at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom, if antibody levels continue to drop at this rate, the protective benefits of vaccination may begin to diminish, especially against novel strains. However, he said it was too early to decide when that would happen.
“The antibody levels were initially very high after both doses of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines, which is likely to be an important part of why they are so protective against severe COVID-19. However, we have found these levels to drop significantly over the course of two to three months,” said Madhumita Shrotri from the UCL Institute of Health Informatics.
In addition, people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine are expected to have significantly lower antibody levels than those who received the Pfizer vaccine, he said, adding that this should be taken into account when selecting who should receive the booster first.
The team also noted that the data had some constraints, such as limited sample sizes for some groups. The researchers stress that because each person only provided one sample, they cannot yet say how quickly antibody levels drop for each person, or whether they will drop or stabilize in the coming months. will continue or not.
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They also reported that different individuals would have different levels of immunity based on their antibodies’ ability to neutralize the virus, as well as their T-cell responses.
“Even when measurable antibody levels are low, the immune memory is likely to persist that may provide long-term protection,” the study authors said.
He said more research is needed to determine whether the range of antibody levels is needed to protect against serious illness.
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