Study finds antibody levels almost seven times higher in COVID survivors who receive Pfizer vaccine

Coronavirus survivors who received one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine produced almost seven times more antibodies, a recent study has found.

The paper, titled “T-Cell and Antibody Responses to First BNT162b2 Vaccine Dose in Previously SARS-CoV-2-Infected and Infection-Naive UK Healthcare Workers: A Multicentre, Prospective, Observational Cohort Study”, focused on 237 health workers, with most volunteers being female.

In the study, 113 people who had been previously infected with COVID-19, and 103 persons who had never had the virus (referred to as “naive individuals”) were each given one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Also, 21 healthcare workers who had never had the virus were given two jabs, while none of the COVID-19 survivors were given two doses.

The researchers found that after just one dose, the coronavirus survivors had 6.8 times the number of antibodies, compared to those who have never been infected and received one dose as well.

“Following a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine, 102/103 SARS-CoV-2 naive individuals mounted a spike IgG antibody response to levels significantly higher. After one dose, previously-infected individuals generated antibody levels ~6.8-fold higher than post-vaccine levels in naive individuals,” an excerpt from the document reads.

According to Daily Mail Online, Miles Carroll, an Oxford University virologist and author of the study, however, noted that it is too early to conclude that COVID-19 survivors do not need a second dose of the vaccine.

“What you find is that even if people who have been previously infected and have had one dose, some people might have a really good response and some people might have a mediocre response,” he was quoted to have said.

“So having that second dose, even if you were previously infected, is essential to ensure that you have good, solid immunity.

“And also — what we don’t know — is that it’s likely that second dose will increase the longevity of response even if you’ve had prior infection. So, the advice would be to have that second dose.”