When does the booster vaccination really make sense? And when are you protected against Covid-19? A Lübeck doctor boss knows the answers to these questions.
Lübeck – “A booster vaccination strengthens and extends the vaccination protection.” With this sentence, the former Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) called for the third corona vaccination.
More and more people in Germany let themselves be missed the so-called booster in order to continue to be protected against Covid-19 as best as possible.
When do you have enough antibodies against corona?
Vaccinated people repeatedly ask themselves whether their immune protection is sufficient after a corona vaccination. Therefore, some vaccinated or convalescents have their antibody level checked, as Andreas Bobrowski, Lübeck doctor for laboratory medicine and chairman of the board of the professional association of German laboratory doctors, explains to the news portal Focus Online.
“In most cases, people who have been vaccinated want to know whether the vaccination has worked for them,” he reports. He’s done numerous tests for antibody levels over the past few months. Although there are still no clear limits as to the value above which the antibodies provide adequate protection, at least first approximations. And: “Experience with other viruses can also help here,” knows the head of the laboratory doctors.
How is the antibody level measured?
The concentration of antibodies in the blood is usually given in the BAU (Binding Antibody Units) unit. According to the report, Bobrowski explains: “This is how the values can be compared worldwide, as they are based on a standard WHO serum when converted into this unit.” In the case of the coronavirus, the doctor assumes the following limit values:
- The probability of having no immune protection against corona is high if the antibody level is below 21.8 BAU.
- The probability of having immune protection against corona is high if the antibody level is above 44 BAU.
Bobrowski emphasizes: “Everything between 21.8 and 44 has so far been in a gray area. We don’t know exactly how big this area really is. In general, we can assume that a person with a BAU value of over 1000 has full protection. At the moment we cannot say whether this is the case at 30 or 40. “
Booster against corona: when does the third vaccination make sense?
If a person still has a value above 1000, the doctor’s boss generally advises against a third vaccination dose. “In general, I would say: If the BAU value is below 21.8, a third vaccination makes sense.” This rule applies mainly to people who are otherwise healthy.
According to a British study, a new dead vaccine is almost ineffective as a booster.
“If, on the other hand, a patient takes medication that suppresses an immune reaction or receives chemotherapy, a third vaccination cannot lead to a sufficient titer,” continues Bobrowski. (nc)
