Anti-bodies and boosters

[scott h]

My wife is a semi hypocondriac (not an uncommon trait amongst Pinays of her generation I think )

We both have been double jabbed, then we both had mild cases of c19 and are fully recovered. So if I understand things right, we should both be fairly if not immune then pretty well protected for future serious infection (until a new variant pops up of coarse )

So the question. To put her mind a bit more at ease I thought about getting antibody tests done. Has anyone taken one of these? If so where?

Also, getting a booster should just further protect us, right?

 

[Mike J]

I am no medical expert so can't answer your question but I will definitely be in line when/if the booster shot is approved in the Philippines. 

[Old55]

I'll be receiving my booster Tuesday. 

According to Washington State DOH all over age 18 should get a booster shot after six months of a two course inoculation. Or two months if J&J inoculation. The vaccine may be "mixed" you are not required to use the same type vaccine as your initial shots.

Those that have been infected by covid should be vaccinated and get the booster.

[Snowy79]

2 hours ago, scott h said:

My wife is a semi hypocondriac (not an uncommon trait amongst Pinays of her generation I think )

We both have been double jabbed, then we both had mild cases of c19 and are fully recovered. So if I understand things right, we should both be fairly if not immune then pretty well protected for future serious infection (until a new variant pops up of coarse )

So the question. To put her mind a bit more at ease I thought about getting antibody tests done. Has anyone taken one of these? If so where?

Also, getting a booster should just further protect us, right?

 

I follow a woman who is a Professor of immunology and virolgy with some 30yrs experience. She explains everything in layman's terms which if you have the slightest bit of commonsense you can understand where she is coming from.  She even debunks some of the nut jobs out there with facts regardless how many letters after their names they have. 

In simple terms the immune system varies between each person and can change daily and is also affected by how much viral load you get and also if your immune system develops a memory responce. 

This explains why some people catch covid twice and why covid only kills certain people. In real life trials they infected people with a controled load of covid. Some unvaccinated, some previously infected and some vaccinated. They were all measured for antibodies at the start then after infection and again after a few months. 

The unvaccinated caught more covid and took longer to recover, the previously infected were a mxed bunch, some recovered quickly, some at similar times to the vaccinated.  After a few months they did antibody tests and found the vaccinated still had more antibodies than the other test subjects.  They then vaccinated the previously infected people and tested them for antibodies after a few months.  The majority of them had the highest level of antibodies.  That's why the science is saying to even vaccinate the previously infected.  

Interestingly some volunteers never maintained any immunity after a few months but boosters managed to teach the body to recognise the virus.  A bit like trying to educate some people.  Some understand straight away others you've got to tell them a few times. This is what boosters do.  

Edited November 23, 2021 by Snowy79

[GeoffH]

Just as an added point to the above (which I do not disagree with). there is a recently released preliminary paper that has early results saying strongly that boosting with one of the mRNA vaccines (ie Pfizer or Moderna) raises/enhances the effect more than boosting with Astra Zeneca or J&J.

And this applies even if one had Pfizer or Moderna for the first two doses... it's your call of course but personally I'll be looking for a mRNA booster in January (when I am eligible for a booster).

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by GeoffH

[hk blues]

3 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

Just as an added point to the above (which I do not disagree with). there is a recently released prelimanary paper that has early results saying strongly that boosting with one of the mRNA vaccines (ie Pfizer or Moderna) raises enhances the effect rather than boosting with Astra Zeneca or J&J.

And this applies even if one had Pfizer or Moderna for the first two doses... it's your call of course but personally I'll be looking for a mRNA booster in January (when I am eligible for a booster).

Whilst that makes sense, we here in the Philippines may not have the luxury of choosing which booster we get (if we get one at all),

[Freebie]

Indeed maybe in many places @hk blues there may not be a choice in booster shots. But today was pleasantly suprised. Saw online that Makati had started administering booster shots, went to get mine.. the pleasant and polite fellow asked if I had a preference, as they had sinovac, Astra, Pfizer Moderna all available. and . I stated Pfizer or Moderna would do just fine , given that I had sinovac as first two does and that having sinovac didnt allow one to get a Greenpass/ Pass Sanitaire in Europe. So Pfizer it was. Very happy to have been given the choice but also understand that in other areas there maybe less choice.

[hk blues]

25 minutes ago, Freebie said:

Indeed maybe in many places @hk blues there may not be a choice in booster shots. But today was pleasantly suprised. Saw online that Makati had started administering booster shots, went to get mine.. the pleasant and polite fellow asked if I had a preference, as they had sinovac, Astra, Pfizer Moderna all available. and . I stated Pfizer or Moderna would do just fine , given that I had sinovac as first two does and that having sinovac didnt allow one to get a Greenpass/ Pass Sanitaire in Europe. So Pfizer it was. Very happy to have been given the choice but also understand that in other areas there maybe less choice.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the situation in Iloilo - whilst we were not able to pick which brand we wished per se we were able to choose a particular vaccination centre which was giving the brand we wanted so no issue.  That said, had we been city dwellers it would have been even easier as many of the centres and dates were for city dwellers only.

Overall, I was satisfied with the overall process.

[Major Tom]

17 hours ago, scott h said:

Also, getting a booster should just further protect us, right?

In a simple answer, yes, since it will extend your immunity to Covid-19... for how long?... nobody knows yet, but it will increase your immunity. I've already had my 3rd jab of Moderna, and I'm willing to get a 4th (if and when I can).