Do you still need vaccine if you have the antibodies?!!!

[toddlermom]

Hello all!

Not an anti Vaxer at all before anyone asks!! Just legit question.

if you have the Covid antibodies already. Then surely you don't need the vaccine (since the purpose of the vaccine is to get you to produce your own antibodies ??)

I had Covid 13 months ago and have done the blood test for antibodies twice ( just out of interest) , last one was last week. And currently have full Covid antibodies according to the test. The nurse said the antibodies should last like any other virus antibodies .

So therefore no need to take up the vaccine and can let other people who need it more to have them instead??? AIBU?

And leading on from that, surely there should be an antibody passport not just a vaccine passport??

Particularly interested in any medical professionals' opinions.

Thank you!!

I know France and a couple of other countries are now saying you only need one dose if previously had covid. However they also told us we were wrong about the 12 week gap and that AZ was useless for older people. Therefore I am sticking with listening to Whitty and Van Tam. If they say two doses get two doses!

Definitely get the vaccine. It acts as a booster for your naturally acquired immunity.

People are still saying I still need the second one, but I'm worried it will overwhelm my immune system

It won't. That's not how it works, just get your second dose.

Why wouldn't you just have the vaccine, since you have no idea how long the antibodies will last? It would be ridiculously cumbersome to have to keep testing people for antibodies to check their 'antibody passport' was still valid. Whereas with the vaccine, you've either had it or you haven't.

I had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in January and contracted covid 3 weeks later (relatively mild dose). I wonder if this offers me the same protection as having a second dose 3 weeks later would have done? 🤔. Fwiw I still fully intend to have the second jab in April - hopefully with 3 lots of antibodies my body will be a covid fighting machine!

@Saracen

It's much less hassle than having paperwork because someone refuses now, bit will want it in few months when their antibodies drop.

A few people have made this point. Could you explain how that works - what is the paperwork or hassle caused by someone not taking up the offer of the vaccine promptly?

The reason I ask is because I've been offered the vaccine early on a technicality. I am not actually in any more need than other people my age. So I was planning to wait until the rest of my age group is offered it. It feels unfair to take it now.

I didn't think waiting would cause any problems for anyone. I don't have to "refuse" it, I just don't book an appointment yet, right? Which means more appointments are available now for others.

Am I misunderstanding the admin behind it?

I think I might be misunderstanding you- if you just sit on the invite and dont actually book what makes you think they're going to issue more invites immediately? They;re issuing invites at the rate that they're issuing them. You just not booking it straightaway doesn't mean someone else will magically get an invite early surely? And as for appointments, dont think anyone has struggled to get an appointment, precisely for the point made above, only people with invites can book appointments, its not a free for all.

An in terms of admin faff, I don't know the process. However, having dealt with admin in other areas of life and then trying to imagine the scale of the task the NHS is facing right now....I would also say it is easiest to just go when you're invited. We all need to get them at some point, waiting a bit is not 'noble' at this stage when we are talking about getting as much of the population vaccinated as possible before June...

Also, I'm also young with no health conditions and way down the list. I would be grateful if you could just take it now when you're offered it rather than blocking up the appointments later when we all get vaccinated and there are people booking who have been sitting on an invite for months....

I'm a doctor and a couple of my colleagues have had covid twice. I don't know how much immunity having covid gives, but I imagine it's variable and likely temporary. You will have more immunity from getting the vaccine too. Most of my colleagues have had covid and still got the vaccine

I had covid 4 months ago. I have had the vaccine, a week ago. If nothing else it's a booster - I haven't had antibodies tested for.

Tbh for the sake of an extremely quick vaccine it's probably much less hassle (from an admin side at least) to just have it done when invited/eligible.

It would be more hassle sorting out antibody tests for anyone who has had covid -they aren't being done routinely or as standard - and then marking the, as such, and having to have more tests every so often to see if it's dropped or not.