A British study released on Thursday indicated that Covid-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the greatest boost in antibody levels when administered 10-12 weeks after the second dosage.
When British officials declared that Pfizer and Moderna will be used in the country’s booster campaign, they mentioned the “COV-Boost” study, but the data was just recently made public.
Six of the seven boosters studied improved immunity after initial immunization with Pfizer-vaccine, BioNTech’s whereas all seven improved immunity following two doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, according to the study.
“A third dose will be effective for many of the vaccines we’ve tested and in many different combinations,” Professor Saul Faust, an immunologist at the University of Southampton and the trial’s lead, told reporters.
Regardless of whether the person had previously received Pfizer or AstraZeneca, the study found that a full or half dose of Pfizer or a full dose of Moderna gave a very effective rise to both antibody and T-cell counts.
Booster doses of AstraZeneca, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, and Curevac boosted antibody levels for either first vaccine, but to a lesser extent. Valneva, on the other hand, raised antibodies in those who had previously been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, but not with Pfizer.
Booster shots were also found to help establish a wide T-cell response against the Beta and Delta versions, which may play a vital role in longer-term protection, according to the study.
Although the study was conducted before the Omicron variation of concern became widely known, Faust stated he had exchanged samples with the UK Health Security Agency in order to collect data on Omicron.
