Good antibodies in those who took second Covishield dose after 4 weeks: Study

BENGALURU: A study conducted by the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Reseach in Bengaluru, on 140 healthcare workers who had been vaccinated with both doses of Covishield, has shown a good amount of antibodies developing in about 78% of the recipients. “We did a study in March second week, exactly after four weeks of the health care workers receiving both shots of the vaccine. Most of our employees showed a good amount of antibodies generated in them,” Dr Manjunath C N, Director of the institute, who led the study, said.

“We know that Covishield is given in two doses — the first initiates an immune response and the second ‘booster shot’ strengthens it. The participants chosen for the study took their first jab in January and the second dose in the last week of February. Health care workers’ comorbidities were also taken into cons iderat ion. A month after their second dose, the antibody test was done on these participants,” he explained. “We noticed that the antibodies they had developed after a four-week gap had prevented them from even getting reinfected,” he said.

Although the gap of four weeks between two doses was as per the initially announced regimen by the Centre, he said it is absolutely scientific and there is evidence to extend the gap to 12 weeks when antibody generation will be even higher.

There are studies with growing evidence to prove that a 12-week gap can also give a larger antibody response than when vaccine doses are taken at four weeks’ interval. A study to compare this will soon be carried out in the hospital. “We intend to do another study soon to check if the antibody levels, when compared to the earlier study, is high or low after a gap of eight weeks in some of the frontline workers who have taken the jab later in February or March,” he added.