No antibodies one month after 1st AZ vaccine

[GenderApostate19]

DH is part of the Biobank study and had an antibody test kit yesterday (fingerprick) it came up as negative - I would have thought that only a month after vaccination, it would have been positive?

I'm absolutely clueless, but since it's not a live vaccine, perhaps the study looks for something that's not in the vaccine?

Perhaps he will form a response later, or only after second jab.

Or he's one of the unlucky minority who will never form an antibody response.

With any jab, there are some people in whom it does not 'take' properly

My SIL is in that study. She is a covid doctor, had a really bad bout of it early on, confirmed by test. She had no antibodies in their test a few months later. She said she thinks they may be testing for the wrong sort of antibodies or something (something to do with T cells, she explains it much better that me). The conclusion was that she didn't agree that test meant she had no immunity to Covid, on the contrary, she felt she was immune.

I am about to do that test and in the email it said you shouldn’t worry if you had had the vaccine and it was negative, it didn’t mean it hadn’t worked.

I did the biobank antibody test last week. There was a very faint line which suggests antibodies but it was so faint I couldn't decide if it was relevant. I had to look very closely to see it, it wasn't obvious. I've emailed them and sent photos. No reply yet.
I had the vaccine 2 months ago

@Hollywhiskey

My SIL is in that study. She is a covid doctor, had a really bad bout of it early on, confirmed by test. She had no antibodies in their test a few months later. She said she thinks they may be testing for the wrong sort of antibodies or something (something to do with T cells, she explains it much better that me). The conclusion was that she didn't agree that test meant she had no immunity to Covid, on the contrary, she felt she was immune.

As I understand it (and like you, not a doctor) the T-cells are what learns to make new antibodies in your body. So you can zero antibodies at a given time, but if your T-cells have learned how to then they'll generate them when the virus is detected.

Again, I think this is how it was explained to me.

He may have T-cells as noted above. It may be that his immune system is responding slowly for some reason, but will still respond. There was a post a few weeks back if you search for it, where a couple of people said they had no antibodies at the first test but then has antibodies on the test a few weeks later. A very small number of people don't get antibodies until the second vaccine, which is also possible. It's great that he's on the scheme and can get to find out, just give it a little longer.

@Evenstar

I am about to do that test and in the email it said you shouldn’t worry if you had had the vaccine and it was negative, it didn’t mean it hadn’t worked.

I don't understand? If there is no antibodies then there is no protection so the vaccine hasn't helped? Or am I misunderstanding? If you haven't had vaccine you won't have antibiotics and they have had the vaccine and still don't have antibodies so how has it worked?

Perhaps the biobank study is only looking for covid infections.

If so, the test is specific for that so the vaccination induced antibodies aren't picked up.

No antibodies doesn't mean no protection.

DH & I both in Biobank. Tested last week, 10 weeks after first jab - not had Covid - no antibodies ! Had second jab 2 days ago - hope it works.

ps anyone else jump thro' the ceiling with the click and stab when using test kit ?

@Cookerhood

No antibodies doesn't mean no protection.

what does it mean then?

I am in the virus watch study. They are looking for two kinds of antibodies, "N" and "S". N means you have had covid and S are the vaccine induced antibodies.
I tested 6 weeks after the AZ vaccine and was negative for both.

I admit I was gutted with the negative response. It's well known the vaccine doesn't work for everyone and I had zero side effects from the jab and take immunosuppressents and steroids. I was assured by my rheumatologist that there are other things at work - T cells for example but equally advised to be extra careful.

Tested again at 10 weeks and was positive for S.

I've just had my second dose and will be testing again in about 2 weeks.

Thank you.
Do the N ones last forever?

And with the S ones - that means that for at least 6 weeks, you had no immunity at all against catching covid?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52446965

@lightand

Thank you. Do the N ones last forever?

And with the S ones - that means that for at least 6 weeks, you had no immunity at all against catching covid?

No the N ones fade. They don't know exactly how long any of them last. I was told I might have had some small immunity if I produced T cells but the fact is they don't really know. They don't know how many antibodies you need for protection, I guess that's what all the research is hoping to find out.

I did my antibody test yesterday for biobank having had a positive Covid test in January and my vaccine at the beginning of February. My Covid infection was just sneezing and runny nose and as I am on the Zoe app and was asked to test and I was positive and I didn’t I have any reaction when I had the vaccine.

I didn’t have any antibodies so I am pleased that I am not the only one.

Dh didn’t have any side effects with his first AZ vaccine but having had his second jab yesterday he now has had some reactions to it.

I guess it depends what they're looking for.
Last month before I had my second jab I had antibody tests through virus watch and ONS.
Virus watch results said no N antibodies but S antibodies from the vaccine were found. ONS just said no antibodies but maybe they only tested for the N? I dont know

I'm also in the BioBank cohort. I am 8 weeks post my first AZ dose. I did their antibody test yesterday and, like others, got a very clear negative. (There was a very faint line if you held it up to the light and squinted but I think that was just a slight disclouration of the paper by the chemicals for the T line.)

So having had a mild panic the scientist in me said that I don't know what they are testing for, but it's unlikely to be the be all and end all of immunity. I'm finding the fact that the test is negative for other people reassuring since it may indicate that the issues lie with the test stick rather than our chance of succumbing to the virus.,

The virus watch tests you have to send a blood sample to the lab,so possibly more reliable than an instant test?

I dont know anything about the BioBank study, but surprised they are not being more open and forthcoming and reassuring, about what they are testing for.

I am also not a doctor/scientist but I read on another thread this week (not sure if it was mumsnet or not!) that you can think of the two types of antibodies like this: a dangerous fugitive has escaped. At first, all the police (antibodies) are out looking for him but over time, more and more are taken off the case because they haven't found a trace of him, so they aren't actively present anymore. Then one day, the fugitive is spotted on cctv so the police (presumably t cells??) are mobilised and out in force again because they know where to look/who they are looking for. I've no idea if this is correct (and apologise profusely if I've stolen this from someone here and/or got it wrong!) but it sort of makes sense to me :)

"My Covid infection was just sneezing and runny nose"

Doesn't sound like Covid.

I was asked to do a PCR test by the Zoe app and the result was positive and as I said I was only sneezing and had a runny nose. Remember a lot of cases of Covid are asymptomatic so having very few symptoms doesn’t mean I didn’t have Covid.