COVID-19 Booster Doses Offer Different Degrees of Protection

Booster doses of current COVID-19 vaccines offer different protection based on different brands, although overall immunity improves again, according to a study published Friday by The Lancet.

The study was conducted in June in the United Kingdom on a group of 3,000 people, and compared numerous configurations, depending on the vaccine injected initially and the one chosen as reinforcement.

The patients had received a full initial vaccination schedule, with AstraZeneca O Pfizer/BioNtech.

In the case of Pfizer received a dose from reinforcement at least two months after your regimen. In the case of AstraZeneca they received the third injection at least three months later.

Bliss dose could be from the same brand, or a combination with CureVac, Modern, Novavax, Valneva O Janssen.

Other patients were injected with a placebo.

In practically all configurations of reinforcement (except those containing a placebo), the participants generated new dose of antibodies, although the combination Pfizer/Valneva did not make any substantial change.

“All vaccines that boosted immunity worked with young and old people, but there are big differences in response depending on the vaccine “the study authors explained.

Furthermore, the analysis showed several limitations.

On the one hand, the dose from reinforcement was administered with a short period of time compared to the second dose. Even in some cases the time elapsed between the third dose and the second was less than the period between the first and the second injection.

And furthermore, the study did not measure the actual efficacy of the vaccines about the disease, but only the reactions of the immune system.

The authors plan to continue monitoring the level of reaction of the people who participated in the study between six and eight months after their first dose.

The study also looked at side effects, considered “acceptable” in all settings.