A recent study suggests that in addition to those who received the third dose of the COVID vaccine, higher levels of antibodies against Omicron were also found in individuals who had received two doses of the vaccine and had a previous infection. .
Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), UK, analyzed 620 blood samples from 364 people enrolled in the study.
How effective is the third dose against Omicron?
According to the study, the antibodies produced by the doses of the two vaccines were less able to neutralize Omicron than the alpha and delta variants. In fact, antibody levels drop in the first three months after the second dose.
But a third ‘booster’ dose increased the level of antibodies that effectively neutralized the Omicron variant.
It also showed that total antibody levels were approximately 2.5-fold higher against Omicron after three doses compared to two jabs.
“People who have queued outside vaccination centers should be reassured that a vaccine booster is the best way to protect them from omicrons,” said Emma Wall, an infectious disease consultant at the NIHR’s UCLH Biomedical Research Center.
“And for those who haven’t yet had a booster or first dose, it’s not too late,” Emma said in a statement.
What about people who already had COVID?
Higher levels of antibodies against Omicron were also found in people who received two doses of the vaccine and reported having COVID-19 symptoms earlier, compared to those who had previously had no symptoms.
A third dose improves our defenses!
Considering Omicron has significantly more mutations than other more recent forms like alpha and delta, studies show that the boosters push the immune system to create a broader response better able to combat it.
“This new version can overcome the immune blockade by a dose of two vaccines, but thankfully, after the third dose, the inactivating activity is stronger in most people,” Wall said.
“A third dose makes our defenses higher, making it harder for the virus to cause severe COVID-19,” she explained.
This study is based on candidates who have taken either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine.
(with inputs from agencies)
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