According to an Israeli study, the third dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine increased antibody levels by 50 times in healthy health workers who were injected eight months after the second.
The study, conducted by researchers at Suraski Medical Center in Tel Aviv, analyzed data from 346 hospital staff who received a booster dose of the drug.
Most healthcare workers were vaccinated with the third dose eight months after the second dose. Israel launched a vaccination campaign in late December last year. and physicians were among the first to be vaccinated.
In the country, the introduction of a booster dose for adults began in August. Before the next immunization, the level of antibodies in volunteers aged 64 to 73 was examined. It was only 3.67.
Ten days after the booster dose, 95.7% of these people showed an increase in antibodies to more than 150.
This is the largest study of the effect of a booster dose among healthcare professionals. Israeli authorities plan to continue monitoring this group of people to see what happens to antibody levels.
The results may help decide whether a fourth dose of the new coronavirus vaccine is needed.
Meanwhile, Pfizer has announced that the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine is very effective and safe, according to world news agencies.
The company presented the first results of a study on the effectiveness of the booster dose. It was attended by 10,000 people over 16 years.
According to the results, the relative effectiveness of the third dose was 95.6% against COVID-19, including against the Delta variant.