Do you need an antibody test after getting vaccinated?
With over 7 crore people reportedly inoculated against COVID-19 (partially or fully) in India and many more across the world, securing immunization with the COVID-19 vaccine is the silver lining many are looking forward to. Vaccine beneficiaries have been told to take certain precautions to strengthen the vaccine's response. Some of the side-effects, too are considered to be a sign of an immune response building up.
Is there a way to check if your vaccine is working?
However, unlike a medicine, vaccines do take some time to generate a response, or in this case, grant tolerable immunity.
While the vaccine does take a while to generate antibodies, it's almost natural to ponder and worry if your vaccine is indeed working well, like it is supposed to.
The rise in new COVID variants and scary mutations have also sparked off an alarm for people wanting to safeguard themselves, and wonder if they have the needed immunity right now. So, is that reason enough for you to get an antibody test? Will it help? We decode...
With vaccination, testing demands are rising
Preventive testing and diagnosis remain to be the keys to fighting the COVID pandemic. Antibody tests, which act as a derivative of infection-driven immunity are currently on the rise right now, especially amongst those who have been vaccinated against novel coronavirus to check whether or not they have gained the benefits of vaccination. In some places, people belonging to higher-risk categories, such as elderlies, who are prone to frail immunity are also being advised to get it done to check if the vaccine is working well on them or not.
What does an antibody test do for you?
Antibodies are the infection-fighting proteins, produced in response to the virus. It helps your body remember the exposure and recognize the virus. Also termed as immunity test, a positive antibody test thus denote immune wellness in a way. After fighting an infection, it maps out the person's exposure to the virus and the level (usually numeric) of natural immunity gained thereafter.
With vaccination too, it does serve some purpose. Since vaccines too drive up immune response by mimicking the infection or mounting preventive antibodies, an antibody test, done post-vaccination could assess how well, or how much immunity a person has. On a community level, antibody tests can help determine the effectiveness of a vaccine and may even reveal who might be more susceptible to re-infection at a certain point.
When do you have sufficient immunity after getting vaccinated?
Most vaccines we have right now work as two-dose regimes (barring the single-dose Johnson and Johnson jab). Both the doses are subjected to be given a while apart so that a person scores maximum immunity.
While both the doses help drive up immunity-granting antibodies (and therefore generate immune reactions or side effects), a person will only be considered fully vaccinated or fully immunized 14 days after receiving the second vaccine dose. A rise in antibodies before that would be considered partial immunity.
What happens if you do not have enough antibodies then?
As per international standards, an antibody count between 10-1000 IU is deemed protective. Experts say that vaccine driven immunity could scale upwards of 300 when a person is inoculated. However, simply going by the numbers may not be ideal.
For example, there can be people who may be well-protected but have certain complications that do not help them mount neccessary antibodies. It could also happen with the ones who may have battled an infection. Lower production of antibodies, though rare is also sometimes attributed to genetic and chromosomal mismatch. However, it does not mean the vaccine may not be working for you. Similar is the case with the ones who do have a higher antibody count.
Therefore, whatever count you do have, do know that everyone will be equally protected against the virus.
Should that mean you get the test?
On paper, antibody tests sound like a good idea to measure immune response in respect of vaccination. But it's not absolutely neccessary to get one done. Unless you are specifically advised, getting antibody tests pre/post vaccination may not be actually needed.
However, even if you do get one, it's important to know that the results may not be entirely foolproof.
Some experts worry that the antibody tests available to the public right now may not be able to specifically map out the vaccine-generated antibodies. Secondly, if it is to be deployed for larger sections, it may not be economically feasible as well.
For those opting to get antibody tests prior to scheduling their appointments, experts advise to not fully rely on the test results. Since natural immunity with COVID is confusing and may diminish, getting vaccinated, whether or not you do get sufficient antibodies is crucial, and considering the surging cases, the need of the hour. It may help you delay or schedule your appointment a tad bit later, but it's still wiser to get the jab.
As long as you get your two doses on time, follow all requisite precautions and practice basic hygiene, you will have sufficient protection from the deadly virus.
Could it determine the vaccine's efficacy?
Antibody testing could be a good employable tool at the public level to ascertain vaccine's effectiveness. However, the efficacy, which refers to the percentage reduction of the disease, or how well a vaccine works against the infection can only be determined under clinical settings.