Pfizer produces spectacular numbers, the Chinese vaccine is fishy

Many people took an antibody test after a coronavirus vaccine because they are curious about its effects. As it turns out, this is far from universal.

444.hu conducted a short survey among its readers. The number of sent in results is currently above 500. (Samples are taken from a vein and evaluated in laboratories on request.)

The oldest reader submitting the results is 95 years old, having with Pfizer-BioNTech administered in January, according to a measurement taken four months later. It seems that among the negative tests submitted, the majority were performed after the Chinese vaccination.

None of the vaccines provides 100% protection against infection. Their strength is the avoidance of more serious diseases.

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The simplest way to check for an immune response is a rapid antibody test, a good indicator that a person has been vaccinated effectively and has some level of protection. If the rapid test does not detect an acceptable level of antibodies, many will do a more intrusive blood test.

It is important to note that testing too shortly after the vaccination can produce a false negative result. With mRNA vaccines, the onset of antibody production is usually well established within 3-4 weeks, but with Sinopharm, for example, it is a slower process.

Earlier, László Puskás, the head of the Avidin laboratory in Szeged, told 444.hu that those who cannot detect the antibody cannot be declared protected.

The Chinese vaccine is an entirely different type than the latest mRNA vaccines or adenoviral vector vaccines. It contains an inactivated virus that triggers multiple antibody production, works with a complete protein palette, but should also trigger an antibody response against S-protein.

Minister Gergely Gulyás said in the government information on Thursday that within 7-10 days, the protection will reach a sufficiently safe level. This is certainly not true for everyone. It seems that even with mRNA vaccines, this time is not always enough to detect the antibody above the limit, and the body usually responds more slowly and at a lower temperature to the Chinese vaccine.