Nine out of 10 over-80s still have Covid antibodies six weeks after a single vaccine dose: study

Nine out of 10 people over 80 still had strong signs of coronavirus immunity six weeks after their first vaccine dose, a study has found.

And both AstraZeneca and Pfizer’s jabs work equally well at forcing the body to make antibodies that can fight off the disease.

The latest research by the University of Birmingham adds to evidence that the Covid vaccines are successful in the real world and work for elderly people who notoriously have weaker immune systems and respond less well to vaccines.

It found that the long-term white blood cell response were less good after a single dose of Pfizer than after AstraZeneca, but this is boosted after the second jab.

Dr Helen Parry and Professor Paul Moss, who did the research, said understanding what happens after one dose gives an idea of what protection people have now. 

Out of 32.3million people vaccinated across the UK, only 7.9million have had their second jab because of a policy to stretch the gap between them to 12 weeks.

This study shows that most people show signs of long-lasting protection from the virus even if they don’t get a second dose within three weeks as people did in trials.

Testing the blood of 165 people for Covid antibodies found that 93 per cent of people had them five to six weeks after their first Pfizer jab, and 87 per cent after AstraZeneca.

The latest research by the University of Birmingham adds to evidence that the Covid vaccines are successful in the real world and work for elderly people who notoriously have weaker immune systems and respond less well to vaccines

‘These vaccines are equivalent in producing protection after one dose,’ Professor Moss said in a briefing today.

‘They are equivalent and both vaccines are good.’ 

The percentage of people with antibodies shows that most people’s immune systems respond to the vaccines, but can’t tell us how well protected they are.

Dr Parry said: ‘It’s encouraging but it’s not known exactly what that level is that gives you clinical protection.’

Some people who test positive for antibodies may still get infected and become sick if their immune response isn’t strong enough – the likelihood or danger of this happening is still a mystery to scientists.