LUCKNOW: The two-dose Covishield vaccination course develops enough antibodies against Covid-19 in a month. In a few cases, post vaccination response can be delayed, but required antibody numbers gradually generate in two-four months and are effective in preventing serious illness in case of infection.
This was revealed in a study done by the Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital (ELMCH) on 246 hospital employees, including 96 women, who were fully vaccinated in January-February and were exposed to high risk during the second wave in April-May when the hospital was converted into a Covid facility for serious Covid-19 patients.
“We checked the antibody levels of these people twice – after a month of vaccination and then in the fourth month. About 93% (229) of the employees developed full antibodies after a month and the number remained intact even after four months,” said MM Faridi, principal, ELMCH and head of the study panel.
“Vaccination did not trigger the immune response in 17 people after a month post-vaccination, but tests four months later found that 14 of them developed required antibodies. Hence, overall, nearly 99% developed the required defence mechanism, which showed that antibodies continue to develop with time and last for a long period,” he added.
Of these 246 employees, 18 got infected during the second wave, but none of them developed serious symptoms. We found that antibodies in these 18 employees were less than half in comparison to the average level in others, indicating that high levels provide good protection, said additional medical superintendent Dr Siddharth Chandel.
Another finding was that average antibody levels in women were slightly less than men.
