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Original poster

Only one dose for people who have had Covid?

31 replies

workwoes123 · 24/05/2021 09:10

I live in France, where the government have recently advised that anyone who's had covid at all only needs 1 dose of the Pfizer / mRNA jabs as a result. While I understand that the current research may support this view, I know from in the only country to have adopted that policy.

In the UK (which is the country where all my family are that I haven't seen for over a year now) would I be considered to be "fully vaccinated" after 1 dose, having also had Covid in September 2020? I'm worried that the French and UK views on this won't match up, and it will make it extra difficult to visit the UK in the near future (which I know is also very up in the air).

OP posts:
Original poster
workwoes123 · 24/05/2021 09:11

"I know that France is the only country to have adopted this policy"

OP posts:
Rupertpenrysmistress · 24/05/2021 09:16

I was unaware of that in France seems strange. As you know we are double vaccinating everyone. Surely that will have an impact on travel. Also how can they be 100% sure who has had covid. I know over here in the early days lots were not tested but probably did have covid.

Research is also showing after 2 doses then you have better protection against the Indian variant. This seems like a big mistake.

Original poster
workwoes123 · 24/05/2021 09:22

Having had Covid = showing a positive test result from a lab. They wouldn't take someone's word for it.

I guess it's part of the effort to massively increase vaccination rates, not giving uneeded doses and getting more people over the "completed" line, more quickly. There is some evidence that the second dose doesn't significantly increase the antibody level in someone who's already had Covid, but it has not been widely adopted as a policy.

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MonsterMash2210 · 24/05/2021 09:23

In the UK at the moment everyone requires a certain amount of negative Covid tests. I don’t think we are taking into account vaccinations when allowing people in.

Even when going about your day to day business at the moment having 1 or 2 vaccination does not exempt you from having to provide proof of a negative test in situations where they are required.

If/ when this will change, I have no idea.

The idea of only requiring one vaccine is unheard here in the UK, because we are still being told to be cautious regardless of how many vaccines we have had. Everyone is still required to follow all the rules/ guidelines.

We are told that vaccines reduce risk, they don’t eliminate.

AlmostSummer21 · 24/05/2021 09:29

They said the antibodies from having COVID are far less effective than having the vaccine & everyone still needs both.

The way france is doing it, is madness.

The hype over AZ is madness. If AZ was the only vaccine, the blood clots thing wouldn't have been an issue. Now they're reducing the number of people getting vaccinated quickly & causing illness & death because of the most minute risk of getting a clot that people & Drs know to look out for.

It's madness.

Are they checking if you've had CV by your records, or just asking them checking?

Original poster
workwoes123 · 24/05/2021 09:43

Are they checking if you've had CV by your records, or just asking them checking?

There are no central records here, so they are just asking. The approach in the different vaccine centres is not very consistent - the info I've had from mine only says to being a positive test result if it's from the last 3 months. But from friends who've been vaccinated already Drs are asking and then refusing a 2nd vaccination to people who've had covid at any point in the past.

OP posts:
Original poster
workwoes123 · 24/05/2021 09:46

I realise I've just contradicted myself above: the official line is that you need a lab result to "prove" when you had covid... anecdotally I know of people who've just told the Dr at the vax centre that they've had covid, and the Dr goes ahead and cancels the second jab. They are shown officially as being fully vaccinated - but only with 1 dose.

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MRex · 24/05/2021 09:48

Right now it won't make any difference to whether or not you can travel, worst case if rules change then you might have to get extra tests. The UK and other countries will look closely at the findings from France, it may or may not be sensible. Pragmatically, it makes sense that those who've had covid get their second dose later than others still waiting for a first dose. The difficulty is likely to be that some who had covid before are likely to have stronger protection and others weaker, but without antibody blood tests nobody knows who is which, and nobody knows the required number of antibodies anyway. Still, if it works out then it'll be adopted everywhere and if not then France will offer all those people (including you) a booster.

Sisisimone · 24/05/2021 09:52

It's not just France. Its pretty much every country except the UK. My brother has had Covid, lives in the US and has had one dose Pfizer. That's the advice, that if you've had covid in the previous 6 months you only need one dose. I think the UK isn't doing it that way because its far easier to just jab everyone twice as quickly as possible and not get bogged down in the administration of having to record who has and hadn't had Covid.

CrunchyCarrot · 24/05/2021 09:53

I think France are being quite sensible in their approach, but who knows whether that will translate into qualifying as 'fully protected' as defined by other countries. It's hard to say at this point.

MonsterMash2210 · 24/05/2021 09:55

The latest regarding the Indian Variant is that you need both vaccines to be protected.

Here in the UK there is no question really, everyone is being encouraged to have both vaccines, and everyone is being encouraged to be cautious, test, isolate, and follow the rules.

I know for a while it was thought that if you had Covid and were double vaccinated you would have optimal immunity. However, it hasn’t really changed anything.

How are cases at the moment in France?

Sisisimone · 24/05/2021 09:56

They said the antibodies from having COVID are far less effective than having the vaccine & everyone still needs both
Who are 'they'? Because all the research I've read suggests very differently. Have you got any links?
The latest research has shown that only people who have never had Covid before benefit from a second dose of the vaccine

invisibleenemy · 24/05/2021 09:57

Personally I would not be happy with one dose. I have had Covid at New Year, and have now had 2 doses of AZ.

At 10 weeks after the first dose I have had an antibody test that has come back positive, that was reassuring but I had my 2nd vaccine this weekend. I would not feel as fully protected as I could be without it, especially with the variants that can reduce vaccine effectiveness.

Sisisimone · 24/05/2021 10:00

especially with the variants that can reduce vaccine effectiveness
Which variants are these? Everything I have read suggests the vaccines are effective against all of the known variants

invisibleenemy · 24/05/2021 10:03

@Sisisimone

especially with the variants that can reduce vaccine effectiveness Which variants are these? Everything I have read suggests the vaccines are effective against all of the known variants
They are effective against the Indian variant but not at as high a level as the Kent variant. This info was all over the news yesterday
BonnyEm · 24/05/2021 10:04

I very much doubt the UK government would view that as being fully vaccinated.
I have had covid, my brother and cousin have too but we've still had both of our vaccinations. It varies how long immunity lasts for after having covid.

invisibleenemy · 24/05/2021 10:04

This is why the over 50s were encouraged to get the 2nd jab sooner

MrsFezziwig · 24/05/2021 10:05

It seems a bit haphazard - is there an actual research study to back this up? On an individual level, if there aren’t any central records or way of checking I think I’d be saying I hadn’t had Covid whether I had or not. If proper research comes out to show this is the way to go, different matter. If it’s being done in order to ration vaccines then they should say this.

Sisisimone · 24/05/2021 10:07

They are effective against the Indian variant but not at as high a level as the Kent variant. This info was all over the news yesterday
No, you've misread it. The news was that they are as effective against the Indian variant as they are against the Kent variant. I.e both the same effectiveness

invisibleenemy · 24/05/2021 10:08

@Sisisimone

They are effective against the Indian variant but not at as high a level as the Kent variant. This info was all over the news yesterday No, you've misread it. The news was that they are as effective against the Indian variant as they are against the Kent variant. I.e both the same effectiveness
yes, after 2 doses though
Alfaix · 24/05/2021 10:09

If there’s no records and they are just asking, lie and say you’ve never had it to get both doses.

MRex · 24/05/2021 10:10

@Sisisimone

It's not just France. Its pretty much every country except the UK. My brother has had Covid, lives in the US and has had one dose Pfizer. That's the advice, that if you've had covid in the previous 6 months you only need one dose. I think the UK isn't doing it that way because its far easier to just jab everyone twice as quickly as possible and not get bogged down in the administration of having to record who has and hadn't had Covid.
Can you point out the US advice please? The CDC only appear to advise full vaccination, nothing about having one dose and as far as I was aware Fauci quite forcefully rejected that strategy. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html, www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/well/live/skipping-second-dose-coronavirus-vaccine.html.

There isn't much consistency to be found between countries in general, because each has been responding to availability and infection rates to take decisions. Spain have the policy of single jab if you've had covid only for under 55s and will jab 6 months after infection. Canada are up to 16 weeks between doses now. Singapore only delayed second doses to 6-8 weeks this week.

QwertyGirly · 24/05/2021 10:10

The vaccine's efficacy has been found to be less for at least one variant. www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n597 'Vaccines developed against the original virus have also been found to be less effective against B.1.351'

And obviously we don't know about future variants.

There are some clear evidence that if you've had covid and already have some immunity, one dose could be sufficient: ...'only people who have never had a SARS-CoV-2 infection appeared to benefit from the second dose' www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/people-who-have-had-covid-19-may-only-need-first-mrna-shot. Information from medical journals, not THe Sun

invisibleenemy · 24/05/2021 10:13

All the info is here from yesterday
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57214596

QwertyGirly · 24/05/2021 10:15

www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2021/april/penn-study-suggests-those-who-had-covid19-may-only-need-one-vaccine-dose

'People who have recovered from COVID-19 had a robust antibody response after the first mRNA vaccine dose, but little immune benefit after the second dose, according to new research from the Penn Institute of Immunology. '