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New research from Israel’s Sheba Medical Center shows the decrease in COVID-19 antibodies in the months after receiving two doses of the vaccine.
The study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 5,000 medical staff at the hospital who were under observation for a period of six months after receiving the two doses of the vaccine. He observed a clear and significant decrease in IgG and neutralizing antibodies during this period.
The researchers reported a significant drop in the first three months, followed by a more moderate drop over the next three months. Women generally developed a better initial antibody count than men and were therefore somewhat better protected after a six-month period.
The study found that after six months, a healthy young woman’s chance of losing her ability to neutralize the pathogen was 2.5%, and a woman’s over 65% chance was 6%; for men, it was 4% and 15% respectively.
Meanwhile, for people with compromised immunity, the odds were much worse: 30% for women and 50% for men (over 65) and 18% for women and 24% for men (under 45) .
“We were able to build a model that shows the chances of specific populations of having different levels of antibodies,” said researcher Dr Gili Regev-Yochay. “Based on this model, in the future we can try to assess the risk of mild or severe disease… and determine what treatment is needed. “
Oddly enough, research found that antibody levels in overweight people – who are generally more likely to get serious illness – remained higher than in others after six months.
Regev-Yochay said this data point should be looked at further and doesn’t necessarily mean they are better protected.
The decline in immunity to COVID-19 about six months after vaccination led Israel to embark on its current recall campaign, intended to boost protection six months after the first two doses. Health officials believe the decline in immunity has allowed the Delta variant of the coronavirus to spread widely in the population in recent months, leading to Israel’s fourth wave which is now in decline.
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