Today's blog is a continuation to 'The Covid-19 Vaccine' Blog. Professor Herb Sewell is convinced it is because the medicine was specifically designed to be given at specific times in two stages. The first dose is what’s known as the ‘primer,’ stimulating so-called ‘memory cells.’
Data from Israel
The second inoculation triggers a longer lasting immune response. New data coming from Israel, following up 200,000 cases of people who were given a first jab of the Pfizer vaccine show that after 14 days, their antibody levels reduced very quickly, leaving two-thirds of them still vulnerable to infection.
Covid trials
While manufacturer conducted trials before the vaccine was approved and concluded that the first jab would give better than 50 per cent immunity, those trials were done with people of all ages, whereas it is the over 70's who are most at risk.
Vaccine immunity?
In this real-world situation, between 30-50% immunity was the best achievable from a single inoculation. On this basis the UK Government isn't right, as they claim that one jab offers 89% immunity. This assumption was based on past experience with vaccines, rather than data.
The Covid Vaccine
Indeed, the vaccine makers themselves, have never claimed a single inoculation would be adequate. That decision has been made by politicians, who saw that the vaccine would be in short supply to begin with and decided to spread it thinly.
They thought that, by delaying the second dose, they could double the coverage of the vaccinations, in an uncontrollable pandemic. (Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk)
Conclusion
Professor Herb Sewell isn't convinced that what the UK Government will work and think it has made a strategic mistake.
Given we have data on the original testing that jabs be staged 3 weeks apart and there is no data for this 12 week delay, this approach is clearly a massive gamble that may not pay off. We'll have to wait on that.
