The booster dose increased the level of antibodies in the vaccinated at least 50 times
, according to a first study of its kind conducted at Ichilov Hospital.
The study followed 346 employees of the Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) before and after receiving the third dose of the corona virus.
The employees surveyed were aged 60 and over.
The study data show that the median antibody levels before receiving the booster dose (about eight months after receiving the first dose) was 3.67 (below 1, the person is considered without antibodies).
Whereas ten days after receiving the third dose, a high level of antibodies was measured - over 150.
Corona vaccine in Jerusalem, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The increase in antibody level was found in 95.7% of the subjects.
However, the researchers plan to test in another study a group of 10 people who developed low levels of antibodies, and two more people who did not develop antibodies at all.
The average age of the workers was 67, and 215 of the study participants were women.
The median time from receiving the first dose to receiving the third vaccine was about 32 weeks.
The study was published in the leading scientific journal Lancet Microbe.
This is one of the first studies to be published on the subject of antibody production after a third vaccine dose in a scientific journal.
Vaccines - Archive, Photo: Gideon Markovich
"The study demonstrates and proves the great effectiveness of the booster dose in restoring the level of antibodies in the blood of vaccinated people, after it decreased significantly a few months after receiving the second dose," notes lead researcher Dr. Esti Sage, VP of Information and Operations Systems at Ichilov. The study together with Dr. David Bomza.
"The findings of the study are consistent with the decline of the fourth wave in Israel, in parallel with impressive levels of immunization in the third dose among the general public.
According to Dr. Sage, there is further follow-up of those who did not develop antibodies in response to the third dose: “Study participants are healthy and non-immunosuppressed individuals, and yet there were two whose antibody levels remained very low after receiving the booster dose.
I intend to contact and receive clinical information and try to find a common denominator or explanation for these two vaccinators, and for about ten others who have developed a non-maximal response. "
She added: "We still see that there are few people who become infected after receiving the third dose of vaccine. It may be people who are taking certain medications or who are suffering from an autoimmune disease."
Moderna's vaccine, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Dr. Sage added that the study could not yet predict how long the third vaccine would last, and when - and if at all - we would need to receive a fourth vaccine:
"If none of them got sick, it can be said indirectly that in the relatively short time after the booster they did not get sick, but at the moment it is not possible to predict beyond the specific point."
Data presented by Pfizer itself before the start of the booster vaccine campaign showed a five to 19-fold jump in the level of antibodies after the vaccine in the third dose, compared to the test done after the second vaccine.
Preliminary data from Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital, which have not yet been published as an academic paper, showed that there was a 10-fold increase in antibody levels after the booster dose, compared to the level of antibodies measured immediately after the second vaccine.
