# Spacing Pfizer COVID shots boosts antibody levels in long-term study
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-07-23
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Study shows longer dosing gap boosts Pfizer COVID vaccine antibodies
Meta Description: British study shows higher antibody levels with longer Pfizer vaccine gap, aiding vaccination strategies against Delta variant. Eight-week gap considered
URL: https://financedigest.com/spacing-pfizer-covid-shots-boosts-antibody-levels-in-long-term-studyhtml

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LONDON (Reuters) -A longer gap between [doses](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-donates-more-than-110-million-covid-19-vaccine-doses-abroad-white-house.html) of Pfizer’s COVID-19 [vaccine](https://www.financedigest.com/gsk-sk-bioscience-to-test-covid-19-vaccine-against-astrazeneca-shot.html) leads to higher overall antibody levels than a shorter gap, a British study found on Friday, but antibody levels are not sustained for long after the first dose.

The study might help inform vaccination strategies against the Delta variant, which reduces the effectiveness of a first dose of the [vaccine](https://www.financedigest.com/gsk-sk-bioscience-to-test-covid-19-vaccine-against-astrazeneca-shot.html) even though two doses are still protective, and one author said that Britain’s eight-week gap was a “sweet spot” against Delta.

The authors emphasised that either dosing schedule produced a strong antibody and T-cell response in the study of 503 healthcare workers.

“For the longer dosing interval … neutralising antibody [levels against the Delta](https://www.financedigest.com/delta-sees-return-to-profit-as-travel-demand-hits-historic-levels.html "Delta sees return to profit as travel demand hits ‘historic’ levels") variant were poorly induced after a single dose, and not maintained during the interval before the second dose,” the authors of the study, which is being led by the University of Oxford, said.

Following two vaccine doses, neutralising antibody [levels were twice as high after the longer dosing interval compared](https://www.financedigest.com/glastons-interim-report-1-january-31-march-2018-orders-received-grew-23-comparable-operating-profit-at-previous-years-level.html "Glaston’s Interim Report 1 January – 31 March 2018: Orders received grew 23%, comparable operating profit at previous year’s level") with the shorter dosing interval.

Neutralising antibodies are [thought to play an important](https://www.financedigest.com/the-importance-of-thought-leadership-content-in-the-financial-services-sector.html "The importance of thought leadership content in the financial services sector") role in immunity against the coronavirus, but are not the whole picture, with T-cells also playing a part.

The [study found overall T-cell levels were 1.6 times](https://www.financedigest.com/playground-xyz-study-finds-carbon-emissions-from-digital-ads-fall-by-63-on-average-when-measured-and-optimized-for-attention-time.html "Playground xyz study finds carbon emissions from digital ads fall by 63% on average when measured and optimized for attention time") lower with a long gap compared with the short dosing interval of 3-4 weeks, but that a higher proportion were “helper” T-cells, which support long-term immune memory, with the long gap.

“While we tend to emphasise neutralising antibodies as a measure of the immune response … cellular immunity, which is harder to measure, is also likely to be very important,” said Peter English, former [chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee](https://www.financedigest.com/us-house-committee-chair-concerned-by-tesla-deals-in-china.html "US House committee chair ‘concerned’ by Tesla deals in China").

The findings, issued as a pre-print, support the view that, while a second dose is [needed to provide full protection](https://www.financedigest.com/gdpr-and-the-need-for-a-data-protection-officer-whats-your-obligation.html "GDPR and the Need for a Data Protection Officer – What’s Your Obligation?") against Delta, delaying that dose might provide more durable immunity, even if it is at the cost of protection in the short-term.

Last December, [Britain extended](https://www.financedigest.com/russias-putin-extends-condolences-to-britain-for-irreparable-loss-of-queen.html "Russia’s Putin extends condolences to Britain for ‘irreparable loss’ of Queen") the interval between [vaccine](https://www.financedigest.com/gsk-sk-bioscience-to-test-covid-19-vaccine-against-astrazeneca-shot.html) doses to 12 weeks, although Pfizer warned there was no evidence to support a move away from a three-week gap.

Britain now recommends an eight-week gap between [vaccine doses to give more people high protection against Delta](https://www.financedigest.com/israels-covid-19-vaccine-boosters-show-signs-of-taming-delta.html "Israel’s COVID-19 vaccine boosters show signs of taming Delta") more quickly, while still maximising immune responses in the longer term.

“I think the eight-week (interval) is about the sweet spot,” Susanna Dunachie, joint chief investigator on the study, told reporters.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Giles Elgood)


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