80% immunity from Pfizer vaccine lost in 6 months: Study
COVID-19 antibodies generated by the Pfizer vaccine dipped by more than 80% six months after the second dose, a study conducted in the United States has found. The research, led by Case Western Reserve University and Brown University, examined the blood samples of 120 nursing home residents and 92 healthcare workers, reports say. Here are more details on this.
Results same in senior citizens and younger participants
The results were the same in seniors, with a median age of 76, and caregivers, with a median age of 48, according to the researchers. The study has been posted on the pre-print server medRxiv but is yet to be published. In fact, seniors who had not previously contracted COVID-19 had substantially reduced antibodies within two weeks of receiving the second dose, researchers reported.
Participants showed 'very poor ability to neutralize infection'
Six months after the vaccination, the blood of 70% of the nursing home residents showed "very poor ability to neutralize the coronavirus infection in laboratory experiments," said David Canaday, a professor at the Case Western Reserve University. Canaday added these findings support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendation for booster shots, especially for the elderly.
Pfizer was one of the first approved jabs in US
Pfizer's was one of the first vaccines to be approved in the US. It uses mRNA-based technology, meaning it gives your cells instructions to make the coronavirus's spike protein, teaching your immune system to protect you if the virus affects you. Earlier, company CEO Albert Bourla had said the efficacy of Pfizer's vaccine declines to about 84%, four-six months after the second dose.
US to start giving booster shots this month
The study has further highlighted the need to give out booster shots, especially to vulnerable populations. The US is expected to start administering COVID-19 booster shots this month. That campaign will start with the Pfizer vaccine from September 20, according to top officials. Israel has already started giving out booster shots while several other countries are planning to do so.
