A fourth vaccine against COVID-19 is allowed for people over the age of 50 and for immunocompromised people under 50 years of age. The clearance is after BA.2, a sub-variant of omicron, which has spread around the world and is growing Parts of the United StatesThis raises concerns about how long immunity lasts after the booster.
The latest evidence suggests that the level of antibodies that protect us from infection drops about four months after the booster is injected. T lymphocytes, the part of our immune system that protects us from serious illness, see a small decrease for up to four months but remain stable. This decrease does not mean that we are no longer protected; Real data show that most people who take three doses are incredibly well protected from the hospital (a. 90% risk reduction) A few months after receiving the last dose.
“In three or four months it will start to go down, but you’re still in good shape,” said Otto Young Professor of Infectious Diseases at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
Here’s how quickly antibody levels drop and what that means for your next booster:
How long do the antibodies last?
Data on antibody levels are limited and not very well understood, but antibody levels appear to decrease, on average, approximately 4–6 months after booster administration.
Search Research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention It is suggested that the effectiveness of the vaccine will begin to decline approximately four months after receiving the booster dose (which is likely due to decreased antibody levels). In people who received three doses during the delta wave, the effectiveness of the emergency vaccine and ER visits was 97% within two months of vaccination; Four months later, it dropped to 89%.
The effectiveness of the vaccine during the omicron wave in hospitalization in people who received three doses was 91% within two months of the last dose and 78% after four months. A Paper Published from the UK The hand Antibody levels were found in July to drop two to three months after the two doses, although antibody levels were still relatively high during the period with the Pfizer vaccine (higher than the AstraZeneca vaccines). A Report Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2022, it showed that even though antibody levels dropped six months after the Moderna booster, the remaining antibodies still successfully suppressed the omicron.
At this point, scientists are not sure if there are specific levels of antibodies that indicate that a person is well protected from infection, although it is clear that higher levels of antibodies usually equate to greater protection. against infection. What we do know is that even when destruction occurs, Most people have had a booster vaccination Continue protection from serious illness, hospitalization and death.
Research This shows that the rate of decrease in antibody levels is somewhat influenced by age, gender (antibodies decrease more rapidly in men) and immunosuppressive health status. But Young, who studies our immune response against COVID-19, said he has seen 100 years with long-term antibody levels, so it doesn’t always happen in black and white.
Our T cell response is robust and long -lasting
Young, who studies T-cell responses, said that T-cells may start to decline after a few months, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone. “Three to four months after the third injection, after the first booster, the benefits of the vaccine against serious diseases start to decrease, but they don’t dramatically decrease,” Young said.
If an antibody test shows that a person has no identifiable antibodies, it means that the antibodies are not circulating in the blood. This is a bit more complicated when it comes to T cell testing. T cells have good memory, so even if a normally healthy person has low or neglected T cells, they can reappear, multiply very quickly, and act. This is why real-world data shows that the vaccine still protects most people From serious illness and death.
Need to determine your next amplifier for future currents?
Amp time is where it gets difficult because doctors have different approaches.
Young advised taking a second booster, or fourth dose, once one was satisfied. Even though we’re relatively calm, COVID-19 is still rotating and you don’t want to have low immunity if you’re affected, especially if you’re at risk, he said. It will also help prevent future waves.
“If you’ve taken three doses of the vaccine without any serious problems, you’ll almost certainly tolerate the fourth dose – there’s a small drawback, it’s worth taking,” Young said.
According to Young, there is something else to consider: we need it Higher levels of antibodies Resist these new variants because they have a different structure to the original vaccine strain. “This is probably one of the reasons why amps are recommended so quickly,” he said.
Gandhi in turn recommends timing your amps to the next wave (which he personally recommends to his parents, who are older and at risk). “You want your antibodies to be dense and high, especially if you’re weak during normal waves,” Gandhi said.
Officials believe COVID-19 could be a seasonal disease. however, From time to time Varies from region to region-while the northeast typically sees waves of early fall and winter, southern regions like Florida experience summer waves when it’s hot. , sticky, humid air sends people home.
If in doubt, ask your doctor. Most people who have had three injections will still be well protected from serious consequences such as hospitalization and death. But for the elderly, people with immunodeficiency, and people with health conditions that put them at higher risk, it’s worth your doctor’s opinion on how the benefits of drinking a fourth dose to the risks of delaying it for a longer time. little ‘.
Source: Huffpost
