Number of antibodies after your vaccine 1st & 2nd jab

[MrsKypp]

Hi,

I was given AstraZeneca. I would have preferred an mRNA vaccine, but I'm in the UK so didn't get any choice (other than waiting).

After the first jab my antibodies were 25 U/ml and after the second, 978 U/ml

I did the blood tests on day 33 after each vaccine.

Roche test.

What were your antibody levels and which vaccine and antibody test did you do?

@MiniMaxi

Placemarking as planning to get mine done when I get the chance and would like to compare!

Great! Do let us know your results.

@Jaz12

I have this test arriving today after reading your post so it will be interesting to compare!

Yes, it's very interesting and helpful isn't it. Do keep us updated.

[quote Dumpypumpy]@MrsKypp just got my antibody level results of 530 , i am 5 weeks post second az jab and i was quite ill from my first az jab. I am happy that i have antibodies, though i kinda wish level was higher but fingers crossed its enough to keep me from being really ill. I will repeat test in 3 months. I am in my 40s. No health concerns but vulnerable family members.
I hope i get a mRNA booster this winter. I might ask husband to do a test as he had mRNA vaccine.[/quote]
Hi Dumpypumpy

Thanks for sharing your anitbody result. I wish the scientists knew more about antibodies and what we need, but I suppose the higher the better and then ones than neutralise variants too like Delta, Beta etc.

I'm also hoping to get an mRNA booster in the autumn. If they stick to the suggested stages 1 and 2 with the original groups of people then I will get it. Hope you do too.

@lazymum99

Got the result of my test. It has gone up to 336U/ml. Not brilliant but at lease some response. 2 months after 2nd AZ jab. This test has a range of 0-2500 I am on medication which compromises my immunity for an auto immune condition. Of course I don’t know what level I would need and how the T cells work

Hi Lazymum99

That's interesting the range stops at 2500 U/ml.

That's the thing isn't it, we don't know about the T cells and other parts of the immune system.

It's really great your body made antibodies despite being on immune compromising meds. Fingers crossed it means you've got high levels of protection. I'm on steroid sprays which are far less suppressing than tablets of course, although they do leak into the body at least a bit.

Another thread on here linked to an article which referred to 250U/ml as high. I will try and find the link. I inject myself every 2 weeks with a biologic for psoriasis which targets the immune system. If I can be confident of the article then my 336 is good enough!

ucl-virus-watch.net/?page_id=1234#3

@RocioMartinez

I think I'm in the same monthly study as *@MrsFezziwig*.

I didn't register any antibody response until the second monthly test after my second AZ jab - so I didn't register any antibodies until about six weeks after my second vaccine dose. I have to say I was getting a bit worried but feeling better about it now.

Six weeks seems like a long time doesn't it. I heard that with AstraZeneca it takes a couple of weeks longer than with Pfizer.

Great you did get them though!

@SoOvethis

I have had that same antibody test a few weeks ago and had 725 U/ml without any vaccines. Had covid in March 2020 so that was my antibody levels 15 months after!

Wow! That sounds really great - so your antibodies are still going strong. That's very encouraging isn't it.

@Lemonmelonsun

Op can you distill your results please, are they good? Do you have good anti body protection?

Hi Lemonmelonsun

Sure, my results:

AstraZeneca

jab 1 then 33 days later = 25 U/ml
jab 2 then 33 days later = 978 U/ml

I don't know how that all rates according to what we need to be protected. It's also partly why I started this thread, so we could all compare our levels and see how our bodies reacted.

Someone on another post said they read over 250 U/ml was high, but I read somewhere else that a person had over 2,500 U/ml following 1 jab of Moderna. So it's very hard to know.

Also, anitbodies is one part of the immune system, presumably a very important part, but there are other things too like T cells that I haven't tested.

@Lowlifeinhighplaces

I too am doing the monthly trial and have been since last year. My first bloods showed no A/B, then had my 2nd AZ jab, next bloods came back high level of A/B, then the 3rd one.

Any left over blood is used for other testing which I have signed up for, I am a good 'bleeder' and takes less then 5 mins to do both the PCR test and the bloods. Takes more time setting up all the bags/swabs etc!

That's interesting, so your antibodies went from none after the first dose to high after the second. It shows the second dose is important I suppose?

My levels went up a LOT after the second dose too.

@StrongLegs

I just got my test results back. I got 182 U/mL

I ordered the test from here: www.tdlpathology.com/tests/tests-a-z/tests-c/covid-19-sars-cov-2-roche-elecsys-anti-sars-cov-2-s-spike/

My history is that I had long covid last March (2020) and have had my first AZ vaccine 10 weeks ago.

I had a very difficult reaction to it, which is still going on, so I'm nervous about having a second one. I do always react badly to everything so it was not a huge surprise.

I wonder if 182 is enough? I really have no idea.

Hi StrongLegs

I'm so sorry to hear you've been so unwell from Covid and then the vaccine. That's horrible

I completely understand why you're worried about the second dose. Is your GP any good? Could they advise about just having one, going for the 2nd or maybe switching to a different vaccine?

Did you have AstraZeneca or Pfizer or Moderna? (Or other if you're not in the UK?)

Silly question maybe, but if your immune response is found to be low, what can you do about it?

StrongLegs

Sorry, I meant to react to your result too.

182 U/ml certainly shows antibodies doesn't it. After my first dose I had 25, so yours is a lot higehr than that (but of course you also had Covid).

I wonder if having had Covid plus one shot of vaccine, whether your eg T cells are really prepared now and that you have good immunity. I just simply don't know. How can we tell?

It would be brilliant if someone who knows more about this than us could say what they think.

@amicissimma

It's really hard to find what's considered 'good', but I did find that the NHS likes over 62U/ml for plasma donations for treatment, (www.jenhamsclinic.co.uk/other-services/coronavirus-covid-19-antibody-test) so I assume that anything higher would be good news.

That's interesting.

I just clicked on the link you shared and found this:

At the moment we do not know what constitutes a high, low or average level of antibodies in the population. However, as a guide, NHS Blood and Transplant are targeting people who have antibody levels higher than 62 U/ml to donate plasma to help in the treatment of people who are ill with coronavirus. This doesn’t mean that if you have lower levels than this you won’t be protected against coronavirus. However we don’t know at what level of antibodies protection occurs

@SurferWoman

Silly question maybe, but if your immune response is found to be low, what can you do about it?

I don't know.

Maybe wear good protective masks like FFP2 or FFP3 and wear glasses?

take vitamin D?

Ask your GP or consultant about it?

Do you mean you had the vaccine (both doses) but your body didn't react?

I have low immunity and was on the CEV shielding list. I had 2 x Pfizer. Not had Covid.

I'm curious to know what response I've had ti the vaccines.

But if I find out my response is low, I can't imagine any GP being interested or being permitted to offer me a third top-up vaccine, when there are so many people across the world still waiting for a first vaccine.

This has been a useful thread. My husband will be testing in a couple of weeks which will be 6 weeks post moderna. I am really curious to see if his is much higher than my 530 az antibodies.

@SurferWoman

I have low immunity and was on the CEV shielding list. I had 2 x Pfizer. Not had Covid.

I'm curious to know what response I've had ti the vaccines.

But if I find out my response is low, I can't imagine any GP being interested or being permitted to offer me a third top-up vaccine, when there are so many people across the world still waiting for a first vaccine.

Are you planning to get tested for antibodies?

The booster (as I understood it when I read about it last week) was going to be for everyone over 50 plus CEV plus people on the flu jab list. So you should be offered it, if they stick to that plan.

It's difficult isn't it, what you said about people across the world not having had their first vaccine yet. I still think each country has the responsibility to make sure its own population is safe first, especially people who they identified as CEV.

At least you had the better type of vaccine, so fingers crossed your body has responded with some immunity. What do your doctors think?

@Dumpypumpy

This has been a useful thread. My husband will be testing in a couple of weeks which will be 6 weeks post moderna. I am really curious to see if his is much higher than my 530 az antibodies.

That would be really interesting to know. Please do update us!

DH (CEV) tested 17.4, I had 612 U/ml - we both had AZ group 4 and 6

Was really disappointed with DH’s results, but a couple of days later DS Pfizer double jabbed tested positive. He isolated straight away, and we are now out of isolation and haven’t caught it, so maybe low isn’t so bad?

@Bleddyansum

DH (CEV) tested 17.4, I had 612 U/ml - we both had AZ group 4 and 6

Was really disappointed with DH’s results, but a couple of days later DS Pfizer double jabbed tested positive. He isolated straight away, and we are now out of isolation and haven’t caught it, so maybe low isn’t so bad?

Great news neither of you caught it.

How long after the vaccination did you each get tested? Were those results after your second dose?

My 2nd dose was 22 May, IIRC DH had both of his before I had my 1st.
DS was about 4 weeks into his 2nd.

Forgot to add DD and her partner were with us (on hols together). They had 1 dose each of Pfizer, and have also isolated without positive results in their house (they did a PCR during day 5 as well).

Did test on 9th July

@MrsKypp

StrongLegs

Sorry, I meant to react to your result too.

182 U/ml certainly shows antibodies doesn't it. After my first dose I had 25, so yours is a lot higehr than that (but of course you also had Covid).

I wonder if having had Covid plus one shot of vaccine, whether your eg T cells are really prepared now and that you have good immunity. I just simply don't know. How can we tell?

It would be brilliant if someone who knows more about this than us could say what they think.

You're never going to believe this, but I've gone and caught covid again. So here I am: the perfect test bunny to answer our questions.

Here's what we've got to go on in our house:

DS11
Covid March 2020 - 1 month long bronchitis type cough + fever (resolved)
No vaccine
Covid now - very slight productive cough, fever of 39+, reduced to 38 after 1 day and then 37.5 for a few days.
Day 6 - Now looks fine.

DH
Covid March 2020 - Flu symptoms for 1 week (resolved)
2 x AZ vaccine - Most recent one only a couple of weeks ago.
Covid now - Looks like a really bad cold.

Myself:
Covid March 2020:
Could barely stand for 6 weeks.
Could barely drink water for 1 week.
Struggled to breathe on about day 8.
Burning feeling in chest - resolved after 8 months.
Now being referred to long covid clinic for ongoing problems.

1 x AZ vaccine (Wild side effects ongoing after 10 weeks)
Antibody test showed 182 U/mL covid antibodies.

Now I've got covid again (Delta hotspot) - So what happened this time?

Well so far I have old fashioned flu symptoms:
Feel very heavy, sometimes just have to lie down for a few hours.
Aching arms and legs, slight headache.
fever, but only 37.5
Sore throat (but not bad)
Burny feeling in lungs, much like last time.
However:
It's only three days in and I can drink water pretty well at the moment, and eat a little bit, which is great.
Also I can definitely stand up, even for quite long periods. I can stand up to cook and I went for quite a long walk in the garden last night and it was fine.
Also, although my muscles are buzzing a bit, I don't have the intense buzzing/burning feeling in them that I had last time.

I realise that I'm only on day 3 and so it could get worse, but so far, is seems as though my 1 covid infection + 1 vaccination has at least taken a bit of the sting out of this.

I'm a bit uncertain because I remember that alpha covid started okayish and got gradually worse towards day 8, so I will report back and let you know what happens - whether it gets worse or better.

I also came back to post this link:
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/22/uk-scientists-back-covid-boosters-as-study-finds-post-jab-falls-in-antibodies

This article says that 190 U/mL is normal for 10 weeks after 2 x AZ shots, so I'm actually in that ballpark, with my 1 covid infection + 1 x AZ, which is encouraging.

I hope you are all getting on well out there.

I should have said: @MrsKypp, this post above is for you.