Negative antibodies after both Pfizer vaccines

[sickofpainting]

Just got my results from my government antibody test I did on Monday. It's negative after both vaccines and having tested positive for covid last March 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ what the fuck?!

Lots of reasons

1. Test accuracy - www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3325

2. Test specificity - is it ONLY testing for covid infection antibodies in which case it won't show the response to the vaccines

3. Antibodies don't last forever, but that doesn't mean you're no longer immune. Antibodies are the means by which B-cells fight an infection - it's the B-cells that matter and we can't test for them. Think of antibodies like police on a man-hunt. When it's recent, every cop has a photo of the person they're looking for and you'd have police everywhere searching - roll on a few months, and the active searches have ended, but if they showed up at an airport the system would quickly flag them and cops would be out in force again.

The antibody test doesn't test for the spike protein, it's not meant to be used to post vaccination testing.

Get a test from BioCard - they test for the spike protein, it's very specific, and they'll also tell you your antibody level. If you have any antibodies, they'll find them!

covid19biocard.co.uk/

Agree that you would need to know what the antibody test was looking for (vaccine raises abs to spike only, natural infection produces a mixture of abs against multiple proteins). Your infection last year is too long ago to have significant circulating antibodies, so that’s not surprising if they are specifically looking for ‘not vaccine’ response.

Cellular (non antibody) response isn’t measured by the test you had, so without antibodies there’s still an excellent chance you are protected.

[quote CrunchyCarrot]Get a test from BioCard - they test for the spike protein, it's very specific, and they'll also tell you your antibody level. If you have any antibodies, they'll find them!

covid19biocard.co.uk/[/quote]
How much is it?

That test is £99. ZoomDoc do one for £59 which tests for the spike protein and gives a %. I'm getting tested as part of a research project but don't get a percentage so I plan to use one oce my 2nd vaccine takes effect.

Thanks, I'll think about it after second jab I guess.

Is there any good one available that is not a 'skin prick' test? I've never had any luck drawing blood with these

@mustlovegin I don’t think you’d see antibodies any other way I’m afraid.

I’ve been doing them monthly and I hate it. I sprayed blood all over the kitchen last time, and ended up feeling faint. I’d love another option

@mustlovegin no sadly not. However I use a little trick to do mine..

Stick a small blob of Vaseline on the finger before pricking it, it won't clot so the blood keeps flowing.

Stick a small blob of Vaseline on the finger before pricking it, it won't clot so the blood keeps flowing. I'm surprised that doesn't spoil the sample?
Warm hands and circulation makes a big difference. The first time I did it it was rubbish, I had to stab two fingers and still struggled.
After that I did some exercises before hand and soaked my hand for a good few minutes in hot water. Made a massive difference.

[quote sickofpainting]@mustlovegin no sadly not. However I use a little trick to do mine..

Stick a small blob of Vaseline on the finger before pricking it, it won't clot so the blood keeps flowing. [/quote]
That could have affected the results. Although I agree with PP that it won’t show your vaccinated antibodies anyway.

Thank you all, I'll give it a go