Major UK study finds 96% people develop antibodies after one COVID-19 jab
pharmafile | May 18, 2021 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |
More than 96% of people develop antibodies after just one COVID-19 jab of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer, and almost 100% do after both doses, a UK study has found.
These findings were based on a study of over 8,000 people in England and Wales at a time when the Kent variant was dominant.
This is promising as it demonstrates that the vaccines can be highly effective against variants.
Dr Maddie Shrotri, the lead author of the paper containing the findings said: “This is one of the earliest real-world vaccine studies in the UK and it is fantastic news.
“Over nine out of ten adults in the UK who had either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine produced antibodies against the virus within a month of their first shot.
“How well these vaccines work is remarkable, especially given the speed at which they’ve been developed. It’s a real feat of science in the face of the most devastating pandemic in a century.”
Prof Rob Aldridge, the Chief Investigator of the UCL Virus Watch study said: “The UCL Virus Watch data shows that for older adults and for people with underlying health conditions, the antibody response is a bit weaker after the first dose of the vaccine, but strong after the second dose.”
“It is a timely reminder about the importance of getting the second dose of the vaccine. But it is also reassuring – vaccines are our way out of the pandemic.”
This study by UCL, which is undergoing peer review before appearing in a medical journal, is the latest news to show that the two major vaccines being used in the UK are highly effective.
This comes alongside news from an Italian study that found that COVID-19 deaths and infections plummet after vaccinations.
Carried out by Italy’s National Institute of Health (ISS) and the Ministry of Health, the study found infections in adults of all ages fell by 80% five weeks after a first dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccine.
The ISS said: “As of 35 days after the first dose, there is an 80% reduction in infections, 90% reduction in hospitalisations, and 95% reduction in deaths.”
A Birmingham University study also found that a delayed Pfizer vaccine dose by 12 weeks gives 3.5 times more immunity.
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